Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef - Spices

Hello, What's This Spices Blog?

2007-10-25T00:00:00.000+02:00

No - this isn't really a stand-alone blog about herbs and spices. It's an appendix of my food blog: Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef containing all my pages on spices. These are in a separate file because they have a different format from the main section.

That's why this looks odd - it's not meant to be read chronologically but as a series of hyperlinked articles. It would be best to check out my food blog, but you are very welcome to browse here if you want.

My Spices Archive

2007-10-23T23:00:00.001+02:00

I've been a bit remiss lately with my spice section. Since I migrated to the new blog format I have not had time to reformat most of my spice archives, so things are in a bit of a state. I'll try to get this section sorted out soon. Sorry about that. Trig.

The following spice tables list the 150-odd spices and culinary herbs in my archive and give basic information on their sensory qualities, usage, etc. Checking in one of these tables is a good place to start, with each table providing links to the individual spice profiles.

Spice Overview is a table that lists each spice and provides a general summary, together with specific information on (a) botanical family, (b) main gustatory and olfactory characteristics, (c) degree of pungency, (d) main culinary uses.

Botanical Families Of Spice groups them into their botanical families, under their Latin and common family names.

Spices By Dominant Flavour groups the spices into those that are predominantly sweet, salty, bitter, sour or combinations of these.

Some herbs are occasionally found in spice tables but are excluded from mine because they do not satisfy the definition I have employed (see below). These are listed in the table Herbs Excluded From The List in order to distinguish those I have ruled out from those I have yet have encountered.

I have started to add hyperlinks in each of the spice tables to the detail pages for each individual spice, but this is not yet completed. If you already know which spice you want to find details for, go directly to my Spice Index. This was originally split into four alphabetical sections, but I'm working on separating out the entries into separate articles on individual spices.

The British have traditionally held the view that spices and culinary herbs are (a) something "foreign" and (b) used to cover up the taste and smell of unfresh food. The former is for the most part true, of course. As a colonist of many distant parts of the world, Britain exported many spices back to the mother country, just as the Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese did. The illustration is of Dom Vasco da Gama (1469–1524), Portuguese explorer and the first recorded person to sail directly from Europe to India.

During the 17th century, British cooking - at least in the households of the wealthy - used a plethora of spices. Somehow this practice died out during the 19th century. We became inward-looking and xenophobic and made the term "foreign" synonymous with "nasty". Only in the past few decades, with mass travel and a booming restaurant trade in the new multi-ethnic Britain, has our love for herbs and spices returned.

As for the "cover up" story - this is twaddle and probably reflects nothing more than the racist views of British soldiers serving in the Crimea and, later, the Indian Raj. Spices have been so rare and expensive that many wars were fought over them. Using them to cover up poor quality meat would be foolish and profligate.

The substance that has been used for meat and fish preservation for millenia and still works perfectly well today is the one missing item from my list of spices - salt - which is not a spice because it is mineral and not vegetable.

For an excellent summary of the history of the spice trade, see Steenbergs Organic Pepper And Spice.

Some Definitions

A spice is a plant substance (leaf, stem, seed, fruit, root, bark or other organic material) whose culinary purpose is to stimulate the senses of taste and smell of a food consumer, rather than to add nutritional value to the food. Some spices do add nutritional value, but nutrition is not the purpose of their culinary use.

Spices may also stimulate the visual sense as a colorant (e.g. peppercorn mix) or dye (e.g. saffron), the tactile sense as a thickener (e.g. poppy seeds) or anaesthetic (e.g. paracress) and other senses including the auditory sense, sense of balance, etc. but these are ancillary benefits (or disbenefits). Many spices also have non-culinary uses including food preservation (e.g. turmeric), medicine (e.g. liquorice), cosmetics (e.g. annatto), religious ritual (e.g. garlic), perfumery (e.g. rose) and as a recreational drug (e.g. nutmeg).

An herb is a plant characterised by a non-woody stem which dies completely, or down to ground level, at the end of the growing season. Not all spices are herbs (as some derive from trees, bushes and other woody-stemmed plants).

A culinary herb is a herb with culinary value, as distinguished from herbs used for their nutritional value (vegetables, salad greens, etc.) and those with medicinal, ornamental, psychotropic or other non-culinary use.

As with non-herbal spices, culinary herbs may add nutritional value when used in cooking, but their status as a spice results from sensory stimulus and not nutritional value.

Some herbs - in particular the alliaceous herbs (garlic, onion, shallot and chives) - are generally used simultaneously as both a foodstuff and a spice.

A Little "Thankyou" To Charlemagne

At the begin of the 9th century, King Charlemagne issued an edict with the grand title: "Capitulare de Villis vel Curtis Imperii Caroli Magni" in which he defined a large number of administrative, legal and agricultural rules for the Frankish empire. At the end of the document was a large list of culinary and medical herbs that were, from that time on, to be grown in every Imperial garden.

The documents were written in Medieval Latin, which was the only language spoken and understood all over the Frankish empire. The Capitulare de Villis helped greatly in the unification of agricultural technologies across the empire and for the spread of "standard" plants and the associated knowledge of their cultivation and use. The plant list of Charlemagne was maintained throughout the Middle Ages right up to the 18th century and the "plants of Charlemagne" were grown in all monasteries where there was a suitable climate.

Many culinary herbs from the Mediterranean became known in the more Northern parts of Central and West Europe. Some of them established themselves permanently in the cooler regions, where their growth required more care and effort. Examples include lovage, parsley, celery and southernwood. Other plants, however, were abandoned for climatic reasons (e.g. almond) or were replaced by alternatives (e.g. cumin).

There is little doubt that we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Charlemagne for the herbs we have today, in particular across Europe. Without the Capitulare de Villis it is likely that many herbs that we take for granted today would have died out altogether.

The plants listed in the Capitulare de Villis are listed in this table, with their current botanical genus name or names and the primary use of each plant today. Most of the plants have been identified unequivocally, but some are in debate.

Spice Overview

2007-10-23T22:00:00.008+02:00

This table provides an overview of all of the spices in my archives.

Spice	Family	Taste And Smell	Heat*	Main Culinary Uses	Summary
Ajwain	apiaceae	Thyme-like, astringent	M	Arab/Indian vegetable and fish dishes	Indian version of thyme
Allspice	myrtaceae	Pungent, aromatic, mixed	M	Sauces, marinades, sausages, pickles	Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper in one
Almond	rosaceae	Nutty, sweet or bitter	L	Desserts, Indian biryanis	A bitter nut for savoury and sweet dishes
Angelica	apiaceae	Musky, fragrant, juniper-like	L	Desserts, cheese dips	Aromatic member of the parsley family
Anise	apiaceae	Liquorice-like, sweet	L	Salads, stews, pastries, confectionery	The classical flavour for sweets
Annatto	bixaceae	Weak, perfumed, peppery	L	Food dye, marinades, stews	An orange dye from Southern America
Asafoetida	apiaceae	Pungent, rotten, repugnant	L	Dhals, curries	An Indian spice called “devil's dung”
Barberry	berberidaceae	Sour, tart, acid	L	Jam, rice flavouring and colouring	A sour berry for jams and rice
Basil	lamiaceae	Pungent, sweet, citrus	M	Salads, sauces, stir-fries, garnish	The defining herb of Mediterranean cuisine
Bay leaf	lauraceae	Aromatic, bitter, pungent	L	Stews, pickles, sausages, bouquet garni	A classic bitter spice in Europe and elsewhere
Bay leaf, Indian	lauraceae	Aromatic, cinnamon-like	L	Curries	Aromatic leaves from North India
Bay leaf, Indonesian	myrtaceae	Aromatic, sour and astringent	L	Indonesian meat and vegetable dishes	The flavour of Bali
Bergamot	lamiaceae	Orange perfume, citrus	L	Savoury and sweet dishes, meatloaf, tea	An orange perfumed flower
Boldo Leaf	monimiaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	M	Fish, sauces, gravies, pickling	The South American version of bay leaf
Borage	boraginaceae	Weak, cucumber-like	L	Salads, soups, sauces	The herb with cucumber scent
Bush tomato	solanaceae	Pungent, earthy, acidic	M-H	Stews, marinades, chutneys, sauces	Increasingly popular Aboriginal spice
Camomile	asteracaea	Strongly aromatic, apple-like	L	Salads, tea	The apple scented herb
Capers	capparaceae	Pungent, sour, astringent	M	Sauces, fish and meat dishes, pickles	Mediterranean spicy buds
Caraway	apiaceae	Strongly aromatic and warm	M	Meat and vegetable dishes, bread	The defining spice of the Alps
Cardamom, Black	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, pungent, camphor-like	L	Kormas, stews	Smoky capsules from the Himalaya
Cardamom, green	zingiberaceae	Sweet and aromatic	L	Coffee, meat and rice flavouring, curries	The spice behind the Bedouins' coffee
Celery	apiaceae	Strongly aromatic, bitter-sweet	L	Soups, sauces, salads	The herb that scared the Romans
Chameleon Plant	saururaceae	Aromatic, astringent, citrus	L	Salads, garnishes	A strange mixture of lemon, orange and ginger
Chaste Tree	verbenaceae	Weakly aromatic, pungent, bitter	L-M	Pepper substitute, marinade	The aromatic spice of chastity
Chervil	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Garnish, sauces, bouquet garni	A symbol of good French and German cookery
Chicory	asteracaea	Crisp (leaf); nutty, bitter (root)	L	Salad (leaf), coffee substitute (root)	Versatile salad, vegetable and coffee additive
Chilli	solanaceae	Pungent, fiery	M-H	Savoury dishes, pickles, some desserts	The world’s fiery pungency
Chives	alliaceae	Weakly alliaceous	L	Soups, stews, sauces, garnish, cheeses	A decoration with a delicate flavour
Cicely	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Anise substitute, stewed fruit	A sweet flavour from Northern Europe
Cinnamon, Chinese	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet	L	Stews, Chinese sauces	The first cinnamon variety in the West
Cinnamon, Indonesian	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet	L	Stews, confectionery	Cinnamon grown and exported, but rarely used
Cinnamon, Sri Lankan	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet	L	Biryanis, stews, rice and tea flavouring	The world’s most popular culinary bark
Cloves	myrtaceae	Sweet, pungent, astringent	M	Stews, rice dishes, desserts, pickles	Dutch trophy from the spice islands
Coconut	arecaceae	Sweet, nutty with sour liquid	L	Curries, stews, gravies, desserts, liqueurs	The most versatile of all tropical ingredients
Coriander, Bolivian	asteracaea	Aromatic, green, citrus	L	Soups, stews, sauces, garnish	Bolivia’s version of coriander
Coriander, common	apiaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus	L	Curries, soups, salads, garnish	The world’s favourite spicy leaves
Coriander, Long	apiaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus	L	Curries, soups, salads, garnish	The herbal taste of the Caribbean sun
Coriander, Vietnamese	polygonaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus	L	Soups, stews, sauces, garnish	The defining flavour of Southern Vietnam
Costmary	asteracaea	Aromatic, balsamic	None	Soups, salads, garnish, cakes, tea	Britain’s forgotten balsamic herb
Cress, Garden	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent (transitory)	L-M	Salads, garnish, egg dishes, sauces	A refreshingly pungent decoration
Cress, Water	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent (transitory)	L-M	Salads, garnish, cheese dishes, sauces	Like garden cress but even better
Cumin	apiaceae	Aromatic, pungent	M	Curries, stews, breads	The heart and soul of Indian cookery
Cumin, Black	apiaceae	Earthy, pungent, nutty	M	Curries	An exclusive taste for the Emperor of India
Curry Leaf	rutaceae	Fragrant, citrus	L	Curries	Well-known name for little-known Indian spice
Damask rose	rosaceae	Sweet, perfumed, delicate	None	Asian desserts and drink flavouring	A flower with sweet fragrance
Dill	apiaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet, anise-like	L	Soups, sauces, stews, pickles, fish, bread	The herb for pickling and stews
Epazote	amaranthaceae	Citrus, savory, minty, petrol-like	L	Soups, salads, meat dishes	The defining spice of the Mayans
Fennel	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Fish, breads, sausages, curries	A sweet flavour for spicy dishes
Fenugreek	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter, caramel	L	Pickles, curries, breads	A bitter classic everywhere except the West
Fenugreek, blue	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter, caramel	L	Cheese flavouring, stuffings, breads	The fenugreek of the Alps
Fingerroot	zingiberaceae	Gingery, camphor-like	M	Thai curries	Thai cuisine's secret spice
Galangale, greater	zingiberaceae	Warm, sweet, gingery, pine-like	M	Thai and Indonesian curries	A taste as exotic as the Far East
Galangale, lesser	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, gingery, camphor-like	M	Malaysian/Indonesian/Sichuan curries	The mysterious flavouring of Indonesia
Gale	myricaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	L	Soups, sauces, vegetable stews, beers	The beer spice of the Middle Ages
Garlic	alliaceae	Hot, alliaceous	L-M	Wide savoury use from salads to curries	Best friend of the onion but not of the vampire
Garlic, bear's	aliaceae	Warm, alliaceous, chive-like	L-M	Cheese flavouring, soups, sauces, salads	A culinary tip for gourmets
Ginger	zingiberaceae	Warm, pungent, citrus	M-H	Savoury and sweet dishes worldwide	A spice loved for pungency and fragrance
Grains of paradise	zingiberaceae	Spicy, warm and bitter	M	Stews, sausages, vegetable dishes	Peppery grains from Africa's West Coast
Horseradish	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent, transitory	M-H	Relish for meat dishes	Nature's lachrymatory agent
Hyssop	lamiaceae	Aromatic and slightly bitter	None	Soups, bouquet garni	Fragrant flowers with bitter taste
Juniper	cupressaceae	Aromatic, sweet, pungent	L	Pickles, salads, stuffing, venison dishes	Used in gin and fermented cabbage
Kaffir Lime	rutaceae	Aromatic, citrus	L	Soups, curries, fish and poultry dishes	Harsh lemon fragrance from Thai kitchens
Kewra	pandanaceae	Sweet, perfumed, fruity	None	Confectionery, rice dishes, desserts	The rose fragrance of North Indian cuisine
Kokum	clusiaceae	Sweet and sour, tamarind-like	L	Tamarind substitute, curries, syrups	The sweet acidic taste of South India
Lavender	lamiaceae	Aromatic, perfumed, bitter-sweet	L	Meat and vegetable dishes, desserts, teas	The summer flower fragrance of Provence
Lemon	rutaceae	Aromatic, refreshing, sour, citrus	L	Desserts, sauces, fish dishes, pickles	Cooking’s most important souring agent
Lemon balm	lamiaceae	Lemon-like	L	Lemongrass substitute, sauces, desserts	Bees' food with a lemon aroma
Lemon grass	poaceae	Lemon-like with rose hint	L	South/SE Asian savoury cooking	Refreshing citrus odour from South-East Asia
Lemon myrtle	myrtaceae	Intensively lemon-like, warm	L-M	Australian savoury dishes	A fragrance more like lemon than lemon
Lemon verbena	verbenaceae	Intense, pure, lemon-like	L	Confectionery, desserts, garnish	Leaves with lemon fragrance from S. America
Lime	rutaceae	Aromatic, lemon-like	L	Asian sauces, fish dishes, rice flavouring	The tropical relative of lemon
Liquorice	fabaceae	Sweet, warm, anise-like	L	Confectionery, Chinese sauce	A medical plant with culinary applications
Lovage	apiaceae	Aromatic, celery-like	L	Pickles, sauces, stocks, potato dishes	The Mediterranean celery herb
Lovage, black	apiaceae	Aromatic, pungent, celery-like	M	Salads, soups, stews, celeriac substitute	Alexander the Great’s favourite herb
Mace	myristicaceae	Warm, sharp, sweet	L	Desserts, curries	The second spice of the nutmeg fruit
Mahaleb cherry	rosaceae	Aromatic, bitter	L	Confectionery, pastries, cheese dishes	An exotic spice from Turkey
Mango	anacardiaceae	Sour, astringent, resinous	L	Indian marinade, desserts, sauces	One of the world's best fruits and more
Marjoram	lamiaceae	Aromatic, slightly bitter	L	Sausages, vegetable/fish dishes, stews	Roman aphrodisiac that flavours sausages
Mastic	anacardiaceae	Mild, resinous, anise-like	L	Sausages, desserts, confectionery	The Greek chewing gum spice
Mexican pepperleaf	piperaceae	Pungent, aromatic, nutmeg-like	M	Mexican meat and fish dishes, sauces	The anise flavouring for Mexico’s sauces
Mugwort	asteracaea	Aromatic and bitter	L	Goose stuffing, fish/meat dishes, salads	A bitter flavour for special occasions
Mustard, black	brassicaceae	Sharp, pungent, nutty	L-H	Indian vegetable/meat dishes and pickles	The subtle mustard used from Dijon to Goa
Mustard, white	brassicaceae	Sharp, pungent	M-H	Mustard paste, pickles, stews	The Western mustard favourite
Myrtle	myrtaceae	Aromatic, camphor-like, bitter	L	Smoking meat and fish, stuffings	An aromatic firewood
Nasturtium	tropeolaceae	Volatile aromatic and pungent	L	Cheese spreads, salads, garnish, pickles	A refreshing pungency long forgotten
Nigella	ranunculaceae	Aromatic, bitter, oregano-like	L	Vegetable dishes, breads	The taste of Turkish bread
Nutmeg	myristicaceae	Sweet, warm, nutty	L	Desserts, curries, cheese/vegetable dishes	Versatile fruit spice for both savoury and sweet
Olive	oleaceae	Floral, fruity, bitter	L	Cooking oil, pickles, sauces, vegetable dishes	The definition of Mediterranean cuisine
Onion and shallot	alliaceae	Pungent, mellow, sweet	L-M	Pickles, curries, meat/vegetable dishes, sauces	The world’s most used flavouring
Orange	rutaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet-sour	L	Stews, salads, desserts, confectionery, tea	A sweet-sour juice and a bitter aromatic peel
Oregano	lamiaceae	Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter	L	Pizza, sauces, cheese/fish dishes, pickles	The defining flavour of pizza
Oregano, Mexican	verbenaceae	Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter	L	"Tex-Mex" dishes	The oregano of chilli con carne
Pandanus leaf	pandanaceae	Slightly nutty and hay-like	L	Indian curries, SE Asian rice and desserts	Mouth-watering and nutty leaves
Paprika	solanaceae	Sweet, aromatic, pungent	L-M	Goulash, stews, sausages, salads	Red, variably sweet/hot temper of Hungary
Paracress	asteracaea	Salty to pungent and anaesthetic	M	Brazilian soups, meat and fish dishes	Pretty flowers that tickle the palate
Parsley	apiaceae	Aromatic, green	None	Sauces, soups, fish/vegetable dishes, garnish	The world’s most popular green decoration
Pepper, black, white, green, red	piperaceae	Aromatic and pungent	L-H	Global savoury dishes and some desserts	Without doubt, the king of spices
Pepper, cubeb	piperaceae	Pungent, bitter, camphor-like	L-M	North African meat dishes	Bitter and pungent grains nearly forgotten
Pepper, long	piperaceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet tones	L-M	Cheese dishes, sauces, pickles, stews	The first pepper that made its way to Europe
Pepper, negro	annonaceae	Pungent, aromatic, bitter, smoky	L-M	Tropical African stews and other dishes	An African pepper surrogate almost forgotten
Pepper, pink	anacardiaceae	Aromatic, sweet, juniper-like	L	Fish and vegetable dishes	A pepper that is growing in popularity
Pepper, Sichuan	rutaceae	Aromatic, pungent, anaesthetic	L-M	Various Asian savoury dishes and pickles	Aromatic pungency from China's highlands
Pepper, Tasmanian	winteraceae	Sweet, pungent, anaesthetic	M	Australian savoury dishes	Pungency from down under
Pepper, water	polygonaceae	Bitter, pungent, anaesthetic	M	Soups, salads, fish dishes, garnish	A pungent herb for Japanese cookery
Perilla	lamiaceae	Aromatic, astringent, anise-like	L	Soups, garnish, pickles, fish dishes	A fragrant herb in Japan
Pomegranate	punicaceae	Fresh, sweet-sour	None	Vegetable dishes, marinades, cakes	The sour raisins of North India
Poppy seed	papaveraceae	Nutty, aromatic	L	Confectionery, desserts, curries, salads	Secret of opium and yeast dumplings
Pumpkin oilseed	cucurbitaceae	Intense, nutty, aromatic	None	Sauces, oil, spreads, soups, breads	The nutty seed oil from Mexico to Styria
Purslane	portulacaceae	Salty, green, fresh	None	Soups, stews, cold vegetable dishes, garnish	The little known herb of Western Asia
Rice paddy herb	scrophulariaceae	Aromatic, citrus, cumin-like	None	Fish dishes, soups, Vietnamese curries	The lemon-scented herb of the rice fields
Rocket	brassicaceae	Pungent, nutty, petrol-like	L	Salads, garnish, pasta, risotto	Europe’s trendy salad green
Rosemary	lamiaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	None	Fish, lamb, poultry and vegetable dishes	The Mediterranean partner for roast lamb
Rue	rutaceae	Aromatic, bitter, pungent	L-M	Meat/egg/cheese dishes, coffee flavouring	Ancient Rome’s favourite herb
Safflower	asteracaea	Weak and herbaceous	None	Food dye, stews, garnish	A cheap and inferior substitute for saffron
Saffron	iridaceae	Fragrant and bitter	None	Desserts, confectionery, seafood, curries	The most expensive spice in the world
Sage	lamiaceae	Aromatic and bitter	None	Italian meat, poultry and noodle dishes	The key herb of contemporary Italian cookery
Salad burnet	rosaceae	Crisp, fresh, cucumber-like	None	Salads, garnish, fish/vegetable dishes, soups	A ubiquitous salad herb
Sassafras	lauraceae	Weak, fresh, citrus	None	Creole and Cajun dishes, drink flavouring	The heart of Creole cuisine
Savory	lamiaceae	Aromatic, summery, pungent	L-M	Legume/vegetable dishes, sausages, garnish	A perfect partner for beans
Sesame	pedaliaceae	Nutty, earthy	None	Margarine, oil, soups, sauces, garnish	As incredibly versatile grain
Southernwood	asteracaea	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	None	Meat dishes, bouquet garni	A flavour almost forgotten
Spearmint	lamiaceae	Aromatic, pungent, cooling	L	Lamb/vegetable dishes, desserts, pastries	The original chewing gum flavour
Star anise	illiciaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like	L	Meat/vegetable dishes, stews, desserts	Decorative spice of Chinese and Thai cuisine
Sumac	anacardiaceae	Sour, fruity, astringent	L	Kebabs, rice and vegetable dishes	Turkey’s purple powder with a sour flavour
Sweet clover	fabaceae	Aromatic, sweet, hay-like	L	Cheeses, soups, stews marinades, teas	The herbal secret of Swiss cheese
Tamarind	fabaceae	Sour, astringent, fruity	L	Meat /legume dishes, soups and sauces	A sour and fruity spice of Asian cuisines
Tansy	asteracaea	Bitter, citrus, camphor-like	None	Garnish, desserts, egg dishes, cakes	One of Britain’s oldest herbs
Tarragon, French/ Russian	asteracaea	Anise-like, aromatic or bitter	None	Poultry/vegetable dishes, sauce, salad dressing	Used in mustard, but waiting to be discovered
Tarragon, Mexican	asteracaea	Intense, aromatic, anise-like	None	Poultry dishes, sauces, bouquet garni	The yellow flower with anise scent
Thyme	lamiaceae	Strongly aromatic, pungent, minty	L	Fish/meat/vegetable/ egg dishes, soups	A dream of Southern France
Tonka bean	fabaceae	Aromatic, sweet, hay-like	None	Cakes, desserts, sauces	The beans with the fragrance of woodruff
Turmeric	zingiberaceae	Warm, acrid, bitter	L	Curries, food dye	The holy herbal dye of Ancient India
Vanilla	orchidaceae	Fragrant, sweet, delicate	L	Desserts, chocolate, milk drinks, ice cream	Ice cream’s Aztec heritage
Wasabi	brassicaceae	Aromatic, pungent, bitter	M	Japanese fish and vegetable dishes	Japan's spice for raw fish
Wattleseed	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet, nutty	L	Coffee substitute, barbecue seasoning	The chicory of Aboriginal Australia
Zedoary	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like	M	Thai curries, pickles	The spice that shows the merits of bitterness

Spices By Dominant Flavour

2007-10-23T21:00:00.006+02:00

This table groups the spices into their most dominant characteristic flavour. Since I originally developed this table, I've concluded that this old 5-flavour model is inadequate. I intend to modify the table to create a 7-flavour model including "pungent" and "astringent" as specific flavours.

Dominant Taste	Spice	Family Latin Name	Taste And Smell
Bitter	Ajwain	apiaceae	Thyme-like, astringent
	Bay Leaf	lauraceae	Aromatic, bitter, pungent
	Chaste Tree	verbenaceae	Weakly aromatic, pungent, bitter
	Chicory	asteracaea	Fresh, crisp (leaf); warm, nutty, bitter (root)
	Cumin	apiaceae	Aromatic, pungent
	Hyssop	lamiaceae	Aromatic and slightly bitter
	Lovage	apiaceae	Aromatic, celery-like
	Lovage, black	apiaceae	Aromatic, pungent, celery-like
	Mahaleb cherry	rosaceae	Aromatic, bitter
	Marjoram	lamiaceae	Aromatic, slightly bitter
	Mugwort	asteracaea	Aromatic and bitter
	Nasturtium	tropaeolaceae	Volatile aromatic and pungent
	Nigella	ranunculaceae	Aromatic, bitter, oregano-like
	Oregano	lamiaceae	Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter
	Oregano, Mexican	verbenaceae	Aromatic, warm and slightly bitter
	Pepper, black, etc.	piperaceae	Aromatic and pungent
	Pepper, negro	annonaceae	Pungent, aromatic, bitter, smoky
	Pepper, Sichuan	rutaceae	Aromatic, pungent, woody, anaesthetic
	Pepper, water	polygonaceae	Bitter, pungent, woody, anaesthetic
	Rice paddy herb	scrophulariaceae	Aromatic, citrus, cumin-like
	Rue	rutaceae	Aromatic, bitter, pungent
	Safflower	asteracaea	Weak and herbaceous
	Saffron	iridaceae	Fragrant and bitter
	Sage	lamiaceae	Aromatic and bitter
	Turmeric	zingiberaceae	Warm, acrid, bitter
	Wasabi	brassicaceae	Aromatic, pungent, bitter
Bitter-Sweet	Allspice	myrtaceae	Pungent, aromatic, spicy and mixed
	Almond	rosaceae	Nutty, sweet or bitter
	Angelica	apiaceae	Musky, fragrant, juniper-like
	Annatto	bixaceae	Weak, perfumed, peppery
	Asafoetida	apiaceae	Pungent, rotten, repugnant
	Celery	apiaceae	Strongly aromatic, bitter-sweet
	Chilli	solanaceae	Pungent, fiery
	Dill	apiaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet, anise-like
	Fenugreek	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter, caramel
	Fenugreek, blue	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter, caramel
	Grains of paradise	zingiberaceae	Spicy, warm and slightly bitter
	Horseradish	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent but transitory
	Lavender	lamiaceae	Aromatic, perfumed, bitter-sweet
	Mace	myristicaceae	Warm, sharp, sweet
	Mustard, black	brassicaceae	Sharp, pungent, nutty
	Mustard, white	brassicaceae	Sharp, pungent
	Olive	oleaceae	Floral, fruity, bitter
	Orange	rutaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet
	Tarragon, French/Russian	asteracaea	Anise-like, aromatic (French), bitter (Russian)
	Thyme	Lamiaceae	Strongly aromatic, pungent, minty
	Wattleseed	fabaceae	Aromatic, bitter-sweet, nutty
Bitter-Sour	Boldo Leaf	monimiaceae	Aromatic, bitter, camphor-like
	Cardamom, Black	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, pungent, camphor-like
	Fingerroot	zingiberaceae	Gingery, camphor-like
	Galangale, lesser	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, gingery, camphor-like
	Gale	myricaceae	Aromatic, bitter, astringent, camphor-like
	Myrtle	myrtaceae	Aromatic, camphor-like, unpleasantly bitter
	Pepper, cubeb	piperaceae	Pungent, aromatic, bitter, camphor-like
	Rosemary	lamiaceae	Aromatic, bitter, resinous, camphor-like
	Southernwood	asteracaea	Aromatic, bitter, citrus, camphor-like
	Tansy	asteracaea	Aromatic, bitter, citrus, camphor-like
	Zedoary	zingiberaceae	Aromatic, gingery, bitter, camphor-like
Sweet	Anise	apiaceae	Liquorice-like, sweet
	Bay Leaf, Indian	lauraceae	Aromatic, cinnamon-like
	Borage	boraginaceae	Weak, cucumber-like
	Caraway	apiaceae	Strongly aromatic and warm
	Cardamom, Green	zingiberaceae	Sweet and aromatic
	Chervil	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like
	Chives	alliaceae	Weakly alliaceous
	Cicely	apiaceae	Strong, sweet, aromatic, anise-like
	Cinnamon, Sri Lankan	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet
	Cinnamon, Chinese	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet
	Cinnamon, Indonesian	lauraceae	Aromatic, pungent, sweet
	Coconut	arecaceae	Sweet, nutty with sour liquid
	Costmary	asteracaea	Aromatic, balsamic
	Cumin, Black	apiaceae	Earthy, pungent, nutty
	Damask Rose	rosaceae	Sweet, perfumed, delicate
	Fennel	apiaceae	Sweet, aromatic, anise-like
	Galangale, greater	zingiberaceae	Warm, sweet, gingery, pine-like
	Garlic	alliaceae	Hot, alliaceous
	Garlic, bear's	alliaceae	Warm, alliaceous, chive-like
	Juniper	cupressaceae	Aromatic, sweet, slightly pungent
	Kewra	pandanaceae	Sweet, perfumed, fruity
	Liquorice	fabaceae	Sweet, warm, anise-like
	Mastic	anacardiaceae	Mild, delicate, resinous, anise-like
	Mexican pepperleaf	piperaceae	Pungent, aromatic, nutmeg-like, peppery
	Nutmeg	myristicaceae	Sweet, warm, nutty
	Onion and shallot	alliaceae	Pungent, mellow, sweet
	Pandanus leaf	pandanaceae	Slightly nutty and hay-like
	Paprika	solanaceae	Sweet, aromatic, variable pungency
	Parsley	apiaceae	Aromatic, green
	Pepper, long	piperaceae	Aromatic and pungent with sweet tones
	Pepper, pink	anacardiaceae	Aromatic, sweet, juniper-like
	Pepper, Tasmanian	winteraceae	Aromatic, sweet, pungent, anaesthetic
	Poppy seed	papaveraceae	Nutty, aromatic
	Pumpkin oilseed	cucurbitaceae	Intense, nutty, aromatic
	Rocket	brassicaceae	Aromatic, pungent, nutty, petroleum-like
	Salad burnet	rosaceae	Crisp, fresh, cucumber-like
	Savory	lamiaceae	Aromatic, summery, pungent
	Sesame	pedaliaceae	Nutty, earthy
	Spearmint	lamiaceae	Aromatic, pungent, cooling
	Star anise	illiciaceae	Warm, sweet, aromatic, anise-like
	Sumac	anacardiaceae	Sour, fruity, astringent
	Sweet clover	fabaceae	Aromatic, sweet, hay-like
	Tamarind	fabaceae	Sour, astringent, fruity
	Tarragon, Mexican	asteracaea	Intense, aromatic, anise-like
	Tonka Bean	fabaceae	Aromatic, sweet, hay-like
	Vanilla	orchidaceae	Fragrant, sweet, delicate
Sour	Barberry	berberidaceae	Sour, tart, acid
	Bay Leaf, Indonesian	myrtaceae	Aromatic, sour and astringent
	Capers	capparaceae	Pungent, spicy, sour, astringent
	Chameleon Plant	saururaceae	Aromatic, astringent, citrus
	Coriander, Common	apiaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus
	Coriander, Bolivian	asteracaea	Aromatic, green, citrus
	Coriander, Long	apiaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus
	Coriander, Vietnamese	polygonaceae	Aromatic, nutty, citrus
	Curry Leaf	rutaceae	Fragrant, citrus
	Ginger	zingiberaceae	Warm, pungent, citrus
	Kaffir Lime	rutaceae	Aromatic, citrus
	Lemon	rutaceae	Aromatic, refreshing, sour, citrus
	Lemon balm	lamiaceae	Lemon-like
	Lemon myrtle	myrtaceae	Intensively lemon-like, warm
	Lemon verbena	verbenaceae	Intense, pure, lemon-like
	Lime	rutaceae	Aromatic, lemon-like
	Mango	anacardiaceae	Sour, astringent, resinous
	Sassafras	lauraceae	Weak, fresh, citrus
Sweet-Sour	Basil	lamiaceae	Variously pungent, sweet, warm, citrous
	Bergamot	lamiaceae	Orange perfume, citrus
	Bush Tomato	solanaceae	Pungent, piquant, earthy, acidic
	Camomile	asteracaea	Strongly aromatic, apple-like
	Cloves	myrtaceae	Sweet, pungent, astringent
	Epazote	amaranthaceae	Citrus, savory, minty, petroleum-like
	Kokum	clusiaceae	Sweet and sour, fruity, tamarind-like
	Lemon Grass	poaceae	Lemon-like with rose hint
	Perilla	lamiaceae	Aromatic, astringent, anise-like
	Pomegranate	punicaceae	Fresh, sweet-sour
Salty	Cress, Garden	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent (transitory)
	Cress, Water	brassicaceae	Aromatic and pungent (transitory)
	Paracress	asteracaea	Salty changing to pungent and anaesthetic
	Purslane	portulacaceae	Salty, green, fresh

Botanical Families Of Spice

2007-10-23T20:00:00.006+02:00

Spices fall into the following botanical families.

Latin Name	Common Name	Spice
alliaceae	Onion	Bear's garlic, Chives, Garlic, Onion and shallot
amaranthaceae	Amaranth	Epazote
anacardiaceae	Cashew	Mango, Mastic, Pink pepper, Sumac
annonaceae	Custard apple	Negro pepper
apiaceae	Parsley	Ajwain, Angelica, Anise, Asafoetida, Black cumin, Black lovage, Caraway, Celery, Chervil, Cicely, Common coriander, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Long coriander, Lovage, Parsley
arecaceae	Palm	Coconut
asteracaea	Daisy	Bolivian coriander, Camomile, Chicory, Costmary, French and Russian tarragon, Mexican tarragon, Mugwort, Paracress, Safflower, Southernwood, Tansy
berberidaceae	Barberry	Barberry
bixaceae	Achiote	Annatto
boraginaceae	Borage	Borage
brassicaceae	Cabbage	Black mustard, Garden cress, Horseradish, Rocket, Wasabi, Water cress, White mustard
capparaceae	Caper	Capers
clusiaceae	St. John's wort	Kokum
cucurbitaceae	Gourd	Pumpkin oilseed
cupressaceae	Cypress	Juniper
fabaceae	Bean	Blue fenugreek, Fenugreek, Liquorice, Sweet clover, Tamarind, Tonka bean, Wattleseed
illiciaceae	Star anise	Star anise
iridaceae	Iris	Saffron
lamiaceae	Mint	Basil, Bergamot, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemon balm, Marjoram, Oregano, Perilla, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Spearmint, Thyme
lauraceae	Laurel	Bay leaf, Chinese cinnamon, Sri Lankan cinnamon, Indian bay leaf, Indonesian cinnamon, Sassafras
monimiaceae	Monimia	Boldo Leaf
myricaceae	Wax-myrtle	Gale
myristicaceae	Nutmeg	Mace, Nutmeg
myrtaceae	Myrtle	Allspice, Cloves, Indonesian bay leaf, Lemon myrtle, Myrtle
oleaceae	Olive	Olive
orchidaceae	Orchid	Vanilla
pandanaceae	Screwpine	Kewra, Pandanus leaf
papaveraceae	Poppy	Poppy seed
pedaliaceae	Sesame	Sesame
piperaceae	Pepper	Black (green, white and red) pepper, Cubeb pepper, Long pepper, Mexican pepperleaf
poaceae	Grass	Lemon grass
polygonaceae	Knotweed	Vietnamese coriander, Water pepper
portulacaceae	Purslane	Purslane
punicaceae	Pomegranate	Pomegranate
ranunculaceae	Buttercup	Nigella
rosaceae	Rose	Almond, Damask rose, Mahaleb cherry, Salad burnet
rutaceae	Citrus	Curry leaf, Kaffir Lime, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Rue, Sichuan pepper
saururaceae	Lizard-tail	Chameleon plant
scrophulariaceae	Figwort	Rice paddy herb
solanaceae	Nightshade	Bush tomato, Chilli, Paprika
tropaeolaceae	Nasturtium	Nasturtium
verbenaceae	Verbena	Chaste tree, Lemon verbena, Mexican oregano
winteraceae	Winter's bark	Tasmanian Pepper
zingiberaceae	Ginger	Black cardamom, Fingerroot, Ginger, Grains of paradise, Greater galangale, Green cardamom, Lesser galangale, Turmeric, Zedoary

Herbs Excluded From The List

2007-10-23T19:00:00.000+02:00

The following herbs appear in some spice lists but are not included here as they do not satisfy the definition of a spice.

Herb	Genus	Usage
Agrimony	agrimonia eupatoria	Herbal medicine and narcoleptic
Bison grass	hierochloe odorata	Alcoholic drinks and herbal medicine
Caltrop	tribulus terrestris	Herbal medicine and supplements
Candlenut	aleurites moluccana	Herbal medicine and thickening agent
Damiana	turnera diffusa	Herbal medicine and psychotropic drug
Dandelion	taraxacum officinale	Salad green and herbal medicine
Danewort	sambucus ebulus	Herbal medicine
Devil's claw	harpagophytum procumbens	Herbal medicine
Elderberry	sambucus racemosa	Wine, cakes and herbal medicine, toxic raw
Evening Primrose	oenothera biennis	Wine and cakes, contains allergens
Eyebright	euphrasia officinalis	Herbal medicine
Green tea	camellia sinensis	Drink and herbal medicine
Hawthorn	crataegus pinnatifida	Fruits and herbal medicine
Jiaogulan	gynostemma pentaphyllum	Herbal medicine
Marshmallow	althaea officinalis	Herbal medicine
Meltoil	achillea milletolium	Herbal medicine
Milk Thistle	silybum marianum	Herbal medicine
Mullien	verbascum thapsus	Herbal medicine
Orache	atriplex hortensis	Leaf vegetable
Orris	iris germanica	Perfume and pot pourri, unsafe for ingestion
Pot marigold	calendula officinalis	Salad garnish and herbal medicine
Primrose	primula vulgaris and others	Salad garnish and herbal medicine
Sorrel	rumex scutatus	Salad green and thickener
St John's wort	hypericum perforatum	Herbal medicine
Stinging nettle	urtica dioica	Cooked green and herbal medicine
Sweet Flag	acorus calamus	Herbal medicine and psychotropic drug
Valerian	valeriana officinalis	Herbal medicine
Wild strawberry	fragaria vesca	Fruit and drink flavouring
Woodruff	asperula odorata	Alcoholic drinks, unsafe for other ingestion