All spices
306 spices so far, best known first. 88 more are on the list to be written.
🇵🇪 Peru and 5 moreChili pepperchīlli
The pungent berry of the Capsicum plant, used to add heat to dishes worldwide.Fruit · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreFennel
The anise-scented seeds and crisp bulb of a Mediterranean perennial herbSeed · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 5 moreCinnamon
The dried inner bark of Cinnamomum trees, prized for its sweet warmth and essential oil.Bark · Warm and sweet-spiced · 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
🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreParsley
A bright green herb from the celery family, used fresh across Europe and the Middle East.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green
🇦🇹 Austria and 5 moreCaraway
The crescent-shaped fruit of a carrot-family herb, used to flavour breads and spirits.Seed · Anise and liquorice · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSaffronزعفران
The dried crimson stigmas of the autumn-blooming saffron crocus.Stigma · Sharp and pungent · Bitter
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreNutmeg
The dried seed of a tropical evergreen tree, prized for its warm, pungent flavor.Seed · Warm and sweet-spiced · Sweet and mellow
🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreTarragon
A slender perennial herb with anise-scented leaves, prized in French and Middle Eastern cooking.Leaf · Anise and liquorice · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 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
🇯🇵 JapanYuzu koshō柚子胡椒
A fermented Japanese paste of chili peppers and yuzu citrus peel.Paste · Hot and fiery · Citrus and bright
🇯🇵 JapanKarashiからし
A potent Japanese mustard made from brown mustard seeds, served as a sharp condiment.Seed · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇬🇭 Ghana and 5 moreGrains of Selimdiarr
The dried fruit of a West African shrub, used as a peppery spice and coffee flavouring.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Bitter
🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreBenzoin resin
A sweet balsamic tree resin used in incense, perfumes, and traditional medicine.Resin · Sweet and mellow
🇱🇾 Libya and 1 morePilpelchumaפלפלצ'ומה
A steamed chili and garlic paste from Libyan Jewish cuisine, now common in Israel.Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 IndiaKala masala
A dark roasted spice blend from Maharashtra used for everyday home cooking.Blend · Hot and fiery · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 IndiaLakadong turmericShynrai Lakadong (Khasi), Chyrmit Lakadong (Pnar)
A high-curcumin turmeric variety grown organically in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India.Earthy and deep · Bitter
🇦🇺 AustraliaWattleseed
The edible seed of Australian Acacia trees, traditionally ground into flour by Aboriginal Australians.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Earthy and deep
🇪🇬 EgyptShattaشطة
A fermented chili and garlic condiment from the LevantHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreRock samphire
A coastal succulent with peppery leaves and carrot-scented roots, used fresh or pickled.Leaf · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka and 3 moreCeylon cinnamon
The inner bark of a Sri Lankan evergreen, prized for its delicate, sweet spice.Bark · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇲🇽 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
🇹🇷 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
🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreZhugسحوق
A Yemeni hot sauce of crushed chilies, garlic, and corianderHot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇬🇷 Greece and 1 moreMasticΜαστίχα
A bitter-sweet resin from the mastic tree, used in desserts and traditional medicine.Bitter · Sharp and pungent
🇧🇷 Brazil and 5 moreMalagueta peppermalagueta
A small, fiery chili from Capsicum frutescens used across Portuguese-speaking regions.Chilli · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreIndian prickly ash
A pungent fruit from a thorny shrub, used for its tingling spice in coastal India and Vietnam.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Numbing and tingling
🇯🇵 Japan and 1 moreShishito pepper獅子唐辛子 (Shishitōgarashi)
A slender East Asian chili that is mostly mild with occasional spicy surprises.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreDalle Khursaniडल्ले खुर्सानी
A round, fiery chilli from the Himalayas, known for its intense heat and vitamin content.Chilli · Hot and fiery
🇳🇬 NigeriaYaji
A spicy rub from Nigeria made with chili, ginger, and ground peanuts.Blend · Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇸🇰 SlovakiaPaprika Žitava
A sweet red spice from Slovakia's Danubian Lowland, ground with a special stone to release its colour.Seed · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United StatesHabanaga pepper
A hot New Mexican chilli born from an accidental habanero and ghost pepper crossChilli · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 ChinaYongfeng chili sauce永丰辣酱
A fermented paste of peppers, rice and wheat from Hunan province, one of the region's three treasures.Paste · Hot and fiery · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇱 IsraelNufar basil
A sweet basil variety bred in Israel to resist a deadly fungal wilt disease.Leaf · Sweet and mellow
🇺🇸 United States and 5 moreGingermint
A sterile mint hybrid grown for essential oil and chewing gum flavour.Herbal and green · Sweet and mellow
🇲🇽 MexicoPineapple sage
A Mexican shrub with leaves that smell of pineapple and flowers that feed hummingbirdsLeaf · Citrus and bright · Sweet and mellow
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreCurry paste
A blended mixture of spices and aromatics used as the base for curries in Asia.Warm and sweet-spiced · Earthy and deep
🇱🇰 Sri LankaLunumirisලුණු මිරිස්
A traditional Sri Lankan condiment of ground chillies and saltHot and fiery · Sour and tart
🇱🇰 Sri LankaThuna pahaතුන පහ
A Sri Lankan unroasted curry powder made from cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds.Warm and sweet-spiced · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 IndiaChammanthi podi
A dry coconut and spice condiment from Kerala that preserves fresh chutney for months.Hot and fiery · Earthy and deep
🇮🇳 IndiaKairकैर
The spicy pink berry and flower bud of a drought-hardy desert bushFruit · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ
A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreTemulawak
The rhizome of a Javanese ginger relative, used for its earthy flavour and traditional wellness drinks.Root · Earthy and deep · Bitter
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreWild turmericKasthuri Manjal
A South Asian rhizome with a musky scent, used for colouring and skin care.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 2 moreIndonesian bay leafdaun salam
The aromatic leaves of a Myrtaceae tree used to flavour soups and stews across Indonesia and Suriname.Leaf · Bitter
🇱🇦 Laos and 2 moreKhao khuaເຂົ້າຂົ້ວ
Dry-toasted sticky rice, ground rough, the nutty backbone of Lao laabSeed · Smoky
🇰🇭 CambodiaKroeungគ្រឿង
The pounded herb paste that gives Khmer dishes their base flavourPaste · Herbal and green · Hot and fiery
🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese prickly-ash
A thorny East Asian shrub whose reddish berries yield Sichuan pepperFruit
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Parsley: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Yuzu koshō: njt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Karashi: yoppy, CC BY 2.0, source
- Chili pepper: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cinnamon: Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Grains of Selim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Caraway: Slick, CC0, source
- Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source
- Benzoin resin: Wibowo Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pilpelchuma: מאור עטיה, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lakadong turmeric: Trinity Saioo, CC0, source
- Wattleseed: division, CSIRO, CC BY 3.0, source
- Shatta: 2kbfloppadisk, CC0, source
- Tarragon: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rock samphire: User:Jymm, Public domain, source
- Ceylon cinnamon: NickCT, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Annatto: Porto Neto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Poppy seed: Odedr, Public domain, source
- Zhug: DonIncognito, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mastic: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Malagueta pepper: Alex Popovkin, Bahia, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, source
- Indian prickly ash: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shishito pepper: Sotaque, CC0, source
- Dalle Khursani: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yaji: Salma kyari, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yongfeng chili sauce: Elena0100, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pineapple sage: Eric Hunt, CC BY 2.5, source
- Gingermint: SEWilco, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Curry paste: Ryan Snyder, CC BY 2.0, source
- Lunumiris: Yasith Silva, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chammanthi podi: Ranjithsiji, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kair: T. R. Shankar Raman, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Temulawak: Ariyanto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Wild turmeric: goldentakin, CC BY 2.0, source
- Indonesian bay leaf: W.A. Djatmiko ( Wie146 ), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Khao khua: Isan1985, CC0, source
- Kroeung: Goomba King ( en:User:Trilinguist ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chinese prickly-ash: Dysmorodrepanis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cardamom: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Basil: Castielli, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Nutmeg: Herusutimbul, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saffron: Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source