Indigenous and folk ritual and ceremonial spices

Indigenous peoples around the world have long known, grown and used spices, and many keep ceremonial and food traditions that should be presented in the words of the communities themselves.

Plants of place

Native spices include chilli and vanilla in the Americas, allspice in the Caribbean, mountain pepper and wattleseed in Australia, grains of paradise in West Africa and timur in the Himalaya. Indigenous peoples domesticated chilli and vanilla and kept hundreds of varieties.

Ceremony and use

Plants are used in offerings, in smoke and in feasts. In Mexico, chilli and cacao have long been used in ceremony, and in Australia, native plants are used as food and in cultural practice. Specific uses belong to specific nations and are best learned from them.

Respect and fair trade

As interest in native spices grows, communities ask for fair sourcing and recognition of their knowledge. Buying from Indigenous-owned suppliers, where they exist, helps.

Indigenous and folk on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

🇱🇰 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

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCommon prickly ash An aromatic North American tree whose bark and berries give a sharp, numbing biteBark · Bitter · Numbing and tingling 🇵🇪 Peru and 1 moreMuña An Andean aromatic herb brewed into tea across Peru and BoliviaLeaf · Herbal and green

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent

🇮🇩 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

🇵🇪 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

🇬🇳 Guinea and 5 moreGrains of paradise The pungent, citrus-tinged seeds of a West African ginger relative.Seed · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery

🇨🇳 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

🇮🇳 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

Indigenous and folk: spices in ritual