Spices of Latin America and the Caribbean
The home of chilli, vanilla, allspice and annatto: mole, jerk, adobo, aji and the pimento islands. 52 spices on EveryMasala so far.
Spice cities, markets and growing areas
Veracruz 3California 2Chihuahua 2Puebla 2Sinaloa 2Xalapa 2Arequipa 1Borba 1Callao 1Cartagena 1Comoros Islands 1Florida Keys 1Havana 1Hidalgo 1Lima 1Moruga 1Oaxaca Valley 1Papantla 1Szeged 1Tabasco 1Tolú 1Yucatán Peninsula 1Zacatecas 1Antigua GuatemalaBelemCañadaChiapasCobanCobánCoronado National Forest
Blends of the region
Countries
🇦🇷 Argentina 5🇧🇸 Bahamas🇧🇧 Barbados 1🇧🇿 Belize 2🇧🇴 Bolivia 8🇧🇷 Brazil 14🇨🇱 Chile 7🇨🇴 Colombia 4🇨🇷 Costa Rica 2🇨🇺 Cuba 3🇩🇲 Dominica 1🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 2🇪🇨 Ecuador 5🇸🇻 El Salvador 1🇬🇩 Grenada 1🇬🇹 Guatemala 1🇬🇾 Guyana 2🇭🇹 Haiti 1🇭🇳 Honduras🇯🇲 Jamaica 6🇲🇽 Mexico 47🇳🇮 Nicaragua 1🇵🇦 Panama 2🇵🇾 Paraguay 1🇵🇪 Peru 19🇵🇷 Puerto Rico 2🇱🇨 Saint Lucia🇸🇷 Suriname 3🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago 3🇺🇾 Uruguay🇻🇪 Venezuela 5
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreAnnatto
The orange-red pigment from achiote seeds used as a natural food coloring and mild spice.Seed · Earthy and deep · Sweet and mellow
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 morePaprika
A red powder made from dried Capsicum annuum peppers, used to colour and flavour dishes across Europe and the Middle EasSeed · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇵🇪 Peru and 3 morePink peppercornbaie rose
The dried fruit of Schinus trees, offering a sweet, piney heat distinct from black pepper.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 morePoblano
A mild Mexican chili pepper that becomes the dried ancho when mature.Chilli · Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇯🇲 Jamaica and 2 moreAllspice
The dried green berry of a tropical tree, named for its blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.Fruit · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇻🇪 Venezuela and 5 moreAjí dulce
A mild, sweet perennial pepper from the Caribbean and Latin America, used as a seasoning base.Chilli · Smoky · Sweet and mellow
🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreBishop's crown
A wrinkled, three-sided Capsicum baccatum cultivar with mild heat and a sweet flavor.Chilli · Sweet and mellow
🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreAjí panca
A mild, fruity Peruvian chili used for its deep red color and sun-dried flavor.Chilli · Sweet and mellow
🇵🇪 PeruAjí amarillo
A golden-orange Peruvian chili with fruity notes and moderate heatChilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreCapsicum baccatumají
A domesticated Andean chili with fruit that hangs down, known for its bright orange skin and warm heat.Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreCapsicum annuum
A flowering plant producing berries of many colors and heat levels, from sweet bell peppers to fiery chilies.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇲🇽 MexicoGuajillo chilichile guajillo
A dried Mexican pepper with a sweet, fruity flavor and mild heat.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇸🇷 SurinameMadame Jeanette
A fruity, very hot chili cultivar from Suriname with a reddish-yellow skin.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Ají dulce: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Guajillo chili: Badagnani, CC BY 3.0, source
- Capsicum annuum: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, source
- Capsicum baccatum: Retama, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Annatto: Porto Neto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Allspice: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Pink peppercorn: Milvus, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ají panca: MiguelAlanCS, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Poblano: stef yau, CC BY 2.0, source
- Paprika: Takkk, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Madame Jeanette: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source