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EveryMasala

Festivals: spices that mark them

Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Nowruz and the other days of the spice calendar.

Festivals have their signature spiced foods, from Diwali sweets and Eid biryani to Christmas gingerbread, Lunar New Year dumplings and the Day of the Dead's pan de muerto.

Religious festivals

Eid, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Passover, Hanukkah and Vesak each use spice in their own foods. Details differ by country and by family, and each is given its own page on the days calendar.

Seasonal festivals

Spring, midsummer and midwinter festivals use seasonal flavours. Nowruz uses sabzi herbs and saffron, Songkran uses cool herbal drinks and Thanksgiving uses sage, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Food as memory

Festival dishes are often passed down in families and tied to place. Many people say a festival smells of its spices.

Festivals on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

PartSeedBarkRootFlowerFruitChilliLeafResinBulbStigmaBlendPasteSeasoning
FlavourHot and fieryWarm and sweet-spicedSweet and mellowEarthy and deepCitrus and brightSharp and pungentSmokyFloral and perfumedBitterAnise and liquoriceSour and tartSavoury and umamiNumbing and tinglingHerbal and green
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperSnacks and tea timeDrinksDesserts and sweetsStreet foodPickles and preservesFeasts and banquets
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSaffronزعفران The dried crimson stigmas of the autumn-blooming saffron crocus.Stigma · Sharp and pungent · Bitter 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 morePoppy seed The tiny kidney-shaped oilseed of the opium poppy, used in baking and cooking across Europe and South Asia.Seed · Earthy and deep 🇮🇳 IndiaErode TurmericErodu Manjal A Geographical Indication turmeric from Tamil Nadu with high curcumin content.Root · Earthy and deep · Bitter 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreChipotle Smoke-dried ripe jalapeño peppers used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cookingChilli · Hot and fiery · Smoky 🇯🇵 JapanShichimi七味唐辛子 A Japanese seven-ingredient spice blend for finishing soups and noodlesBlend · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright 🇫🇷 France and 1 moreEspelette pepperpiment d'Espelette A mild Basque chili with sweet, fruity notes and protected origin status.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 morePoblano A mild Mexican chili pepper that becomes the dried ancho when mature.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery 🇮🇹 ItalyPeperoncino A hot Italian chili pepper used in southern cuisine, dried and crushed for heat.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇯🇵 Japan and 4 moreMugwort艾草 (ài cǎo) Aromatic leaves from the Artemisia genus used in Asian cuisine and traditional medicine.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreDatil pepper A very hot, sweet-sour cultivar of Capsicum chinense grown mainly in FloridaChilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow 🇵🇹 Portugal and 4 moreRosemary A fragrant Mediterranean shrub with needle-like leaves used for seasoning and remembranceHerbal and green 🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreSumac A tart, crimson spice made from ground berries of the Rhus coriaria shrub.Seed · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright 🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreHorseradish A pungent root vegetable from Southeastern Europe used as a spicy condiment.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇨🇳 China and 5 moreRoselle The deep red calyx of a hibiscus plant, steeped into a tart drink or cooked as a leafy green.Fruit · Sour and tart · Citrus and bright 🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreCommon sage The gray-green leaves of a Mediterranean perennial used in European roasts and traditional remedies.Leaf · Herbal and green 🇬🇷 GreeceFlorina pepperπιπεριά Φλωρίνης A sweet, horn-shaped red pepper from northern Greece with Protected Designation of Origin status.Fruit · 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

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.