Everyday use: spices that mark them
The spices of the working kitchen, reached for every day.
Daily cooking is the main home of spice, with a few trusted spices used every day in every kitchen, such as turmeric, cumin and chilli in India, pepper in Europe, and cinnamon and allspice in the Caribbean.
The everyday spice rack
Most households use between five and fifteen spices regularly. A typical Indian kitchen has a masala dabba, a tin holding mustard seed, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chilli and one or two others. A European kitchen has pepper, paprika, bay, thyme and cinnamon.
How skill is passed on
Families learn the proportions by watching, and the same spices can taste different in each house. Many cooks toast and grind small batches weekly.
Keeping it simple
Few spices are needed to start. Learn a handful well, buy whole where possible, and keep jars fresh.
Everyday use on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreBasil
A tender culinary herb with glossy leaves and a licorice-like aroma, native to tropical Asia.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCardamom
Aromatic seeds from spindle-shaped pods used in sweet and savory dishes across Asia and the Middle East.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇫🇷 France and 3 moreHerbes de Provenceèrbas de Provença
A dried herb blend from southwestern France, now a global kitchen staple.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green
🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreThyme
The dried leaves of a Mediterranean mint-family herb, used to perfume stews and baths alike.Leaf · Earthy and deep · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreMixed spice
A British blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for sweet bakingBlend · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreCinnamon sugar
A simple blend of ground cinnamon and granulated sugar used to sweeten and spice desserts.Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFenugreekحلبة (hilba)
The cuboid seed of an annual legume, prized for its bitter warmth and maple aroma.Seed · Bitter · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreCumin
The dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep
🇵🇪 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornmulli
The dried pink drupes of the Schinus molle tree, sold as a peppery alternative to black pepper.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBay Laurelδάφνη
The dried leaf of a Mediterranean evergreen, used to infuse slow-cooked dishes with herbal depth.Sharp and pungent · Bitter
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau and 5 moreCalabash nutmeg
The dried seed of a West African tree, used as a local substitute for nutmeg.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTurmericहल्दी
The dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced · Bitter
🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oreganoزَعْتَر
The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGinger
The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Mixed spice: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Syrian oregano: Kippi70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pink peppercorn: Charles Gadbois, CC BY 3.0, source
- Cinnamon sugar: Ed! ( Photography Gallery ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source
- Calabash nutmeg: Samuel Curtis and William Jackson Hooker, Public domain, source
- Thyme: Evan-Amos, CC0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Herbes de Provence: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
- Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source