All spices
306 spices so far, best known first. 88 more are on the list to be written.
🇬🇷 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
🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreMustard
A pungent paste made from ground mustard seeds mixed with liquid and spices.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery
🇬🇭 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
🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBay leaf
The dried or fresh leaves of the laurel tree, used to infuse depth into slow-cooked dishes.Leaf · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent
🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreMahleb
A ground cherry seed used to sweeten Middle Eastern baked goods with an almond-cherry note.Seed · Sweet and mellow · Bitter
🇹🇷 TurkeyUrfa biber
A sun-dried and night-wrapped chili from Turkey with a smoky, raisin-like taste.Chilli · Smoky · Sweet and mellow
🇹🇭 Thailand and 5 moreKaffir limeมะกรูด
The bumpy-skinned citrus fruit and double-leafed shrub of Southeast AsiaFruit · Citrus and bright · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 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
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreCubeb
The dried fruit of a climbing vine, known for its long tail and sharp taste.Fruit · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇹🇷 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
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreBlack cumin
The tiny black seed of a wild annual flower, used across the Middle East and South Asia.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇮🇳 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
🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreHorseradish
A pungent root vegetable from Southeastern Europe used as a spicy condiment.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreFriggitello
A mild sweet Italian chilli often pickled, known for its complex flavour and slight heat.Sweet and mellow · Hot and fiery
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreZedoarytemu putih
A bitter rhizome from the ginger family, once common in Austronesian kitchens.Root · Bitter · Sharp and pungent
🇵🇸 Palestine and 4 moreSyrian oreganoزَعْتَر
The aromatic herb native to the Levant, essential for making za'atar.Warm and sweet-spiced · Herbal and green
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Grains of Selim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.0, source
- Parsley: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mahleb: Steve Hurst @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database, Public domain, source
- Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Horseradish: Pethan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Urfa biber: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Syrian oregano: Kippi70, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Friggitello: User:CFang, Public domain, source
- Mustard: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kaffir lime: David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cubeb: Kembangraps, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bay leaf: Χρήστης:Andrikkos / The original uploader was Andrikkos at Greek Wikip, Public domain, source
- Bay Laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source