In-Depth Food & Spice Chart

Herb or Spice
ALLSPICE

Source

Flavor

Best Used

Cooking Use

Berries of the allspice

treePimenta dioica

Like a mix of
nutmeg,
cloves and
cinnamon

Freshly
ground

Virtually
anything, from
salads to desserts

ANISE

Seeds of the anise

plantPimpinella
anisum

BASIL

Leaves and stems of

the basil plantOcimum
basilicum vars

Pungent,
somewhat
sweet

Fresh

Tomato dishes,
with eggplant, for
pesto, in Thai and
Vietnamese foods,
addition to salads
and many cooked
vegetables

BAY

Leaves of the sweet

bay treeLaurus nobilis

Mild

Dried

In soups, stews
and tomato
sauces, and in
shellfish boils.
Remove leaf
before serving

BLACK
PEPPER

Berries of the pepper

Pungent,
treePiper nigrum. Not somewhat hot
related to the species
of plants that include
bell or other types of
peppers.

Dried,
freshly
ground

As condiment, in
any dish you wish
to make mildly
hot

BORAGE

Leaves and flowers of

the borage
plantBorago
officinalis

Mild

Fresh

Flowers as
garnish or in
salads; leaves in
salads or in herbal
tea mixtures.
Either can be
candied.

CAPERS

Unopened flower buds

from the
caperbushCapparis
spinosa

Pungent

Pickled in
brine

In sauces, as a
garnish, and as a
flavoring when
pickling other
foods

Seeds of the caraway

plantCarum carvi

Sweet, nutty

Whole

Hungarian
goulash, cookies
and cakes, apple

CARAWAY

Sweet, similar Dried seeds

to licorice

As flavoring in
cookies, candies
and pastries; also
in poultry dishes

sauce, herbal
vinegars
CARDAMOM

Seeds from the

cardamom
tree Elettaria
cardamomum, a
member of the ginger
family

Sweetly spicy

Whole or
ground

Stews, curries.
Use sparingly, as
it has a strong
taste.

CAYENNE
PEPPER

Ground dried fruit or

seeds of the cayenne
pepper plantCapiscum
annum

Fiery hot

Dried and
ground or
fresh and
finely
chopped

Use sparingly -it's very hot -- in

anything you
want to taste hot.
Warning: as in all
hot peppers, the
seeds are
extremely hot, so
wash your hands
thoroughly after
handling.

CELERY SEED

Seeds of the celery

plantApium
graveolens

Strong,
Dried whole As a replacement
pungent celery
seed
for celery stalks in
flavor
cooking; as a
flavoring in
tomato juice,
sauces and soups

CHERVIL

Leaves and stems of

the chervil
plantAnthriscus
cerefolium

Light, similar
to parsley

Fresh or
frozen

Flavoring in
soups, casseroles,
salads, and in
omelettes.

CHILE
POWDER

Dried, ground chili

peppersCapiscum
annum

Spicy, hot
(heat depends
on variety of
chili pepper
used)

Ground

In chili or other
spicy dishes

CHIVES

Leaves of the chive

plant, a member of
the Alliumfamily

Sharp, onion
or garlic flavor

Fresh;
frozen if
fresh not
available

Garnish, blended
with soft cheeses,
added to salads

Leaves of the
coriander
plantCoriandrum
sativum

Spicy, sweet
or hot

Fresh

In Middle
Eastern, southeast
Asian, Chines,
Latin American
and Spanish
cuisines; common
ingredient in
Mexican salsas.

CILANTRO

CINNAMON

Dried bark of the

cinnamon
treeCinnamomum
zeylanicum

Pungently
sweet

As dried
sticks or
ground
powder

In sweet dishes or
in curries and
stews

Dried flower bud of

the clove
treeSyzygium
aromaticum

Sweet or
bittersweet

Dried and
ground

Add to sweet
dishes or as a
contrast in stews
and curries.

Seeds of the coriander

plantCoriandrum
sativum

Spicy, sweet
or hot

Ground or
whole

In cakes, cookies,
breads, as a
pickling spice or
in curry mixtures

Seed of the cumin

plantCuminum
cyminum

Peppery

Whole or
ground

Soups, stews,
sauces. Use
sparingly.

CURRY
POWDER

Combination of
several ground spices

Hot

Sparingly -taste the dish

in which
you're using
to gauge
heat level

Curries

DILL

Leaves and seeds of

the dill plant Anethum
graveolens, Anethum
sowa

Mild,
somewhat
sour

Leaves best
fresh; seeds
used whole

Fish, eggs,
potatoes, meats,
breads, salads,
sauces; dill seed
used in pickling
and to make dillflavored vinegar.
Seeds of sowa, or
Indian dill, used
in curry

Leaves and stems of

the fennel
plantFoeniculum
vulgare var.

Like anise, but

sweeter and
lighter

Raw or
cooked

In salads (raw), in
soups or stews
(cooked)

CLOVES

CORIANDER

CUMIN

FENNEL

FENUGREEK

GARLIC

Seeds from the

fenugreek
plantTrigonella
foenumgraecum
Bulbs of the garlic
plant, a member of
theAllium family

Sweet,
Whole or
In pastries, as a
somewhat like ground seed flavoring for meat
burnt honey
dishes and
beverages, and to
make syrups
Pungent,
onion-like,
mildly hot to
very hot

Fresh;
granulated
acceptable
substitute

Roasted, or
flavoring for pasta
sauces, pork
roasts, herb butter,
stuffing, and

marinades
GINGER

Roots of the ginger

plantZingiber
officinale

Mix of pepper
and sweetness

GREEN
PEPPERCORNS

Immature berries of
the pepper treePiper
nigrum

Mild, slightly Preserved in

sweet
brine or
waterpacked

HORSERADISH

Roots of the
horseradish
plantArmoracia
lapathifolia

Very sharp,
similar to
mustard

Fresh or
jarred

As condiment, or
to flavor fish,
beef, sausages,
and potato salads

LOVAGE

Leaves of the lovage

plantLevisticum
officinale

Similar to
celery, but
stronger

Fresh

Use as you would

celery, in soups,
stews, sauces,
meat or fish
salads

MACE

Outer covering of the

nutmeg seed

Similar to
nutmeg, but
stronger

Dried or
ground

Custards, spice
cakes, fruit
desserts

Leaves of the
marjoram
plantOriganum
majorana

Delicate

Fresh or
dried

Soups, stews,
marinades. Add at
end of cooking to
conserve flavor

Leaves of the mint

plantMenthe spp.

Various -there are more

than 30
species of
mint

Fresh

In salads, with
vegetables

Whole seed

In pickling, as a
seasoning, or in
preparing Oriental
mustard sauces

Powdered or
whole seeds

Ground, is
primary
ingredient in
American-style
prepared mustard;
the whole seeds
may be used
boiled with
cabbage, or as a

MARJORAM

MINT

MUSTARD,
BROWN

MUSTARD,
YELLOW

Seeds of the mustard

Pungent,
plantBrassica juncea; biting, hotter
also known as Oriental than yellow
mustard
mustard
Seeds of the mustard
plantBrassica hirta

Hot, tangy,
less of a bite
than brown
mustard

Dried
powder or
freshly
grated from
root

Cakes, breads,
cookies, as well
as Asian dishes

In herbal
vinegars, in
sauces

garnish for salads.

NUTMEG

Seeds of the nutmeg

treeMyristica fragans

Warm, spicy,
sweet

Freshly
ground

In cakes and
cookies, in sweet
potatoes

OREGANO

Leaves of the oregano

Similar to
plantOriganum
marjoram, but
vulgare
not as sweet

Fresh or
dried

In Italian dishes,
in chili, with
vegetables, soups

PAPRIKA

Fruit from a sweet

pepper plantCapiscum
annum

Sweet to hot,
somewhat
bitter

Dried and
ground

In Hungarian
dishes including
goulash, in soups,
in potato or egg
salad

PARSLEY

Leaves of the parsley

plantPetroselinum
crispum

Mildly
peppery

POPPY SEED

Seeds from the poppy

flowerPapaver
somniferum

Nutty

Dried, whole

In muffins and
cakes, salad
dressings.

ROSEMARY

Leaves of the
rosemary
plantRosmarinus
officinalis

Very aromatic,
faintly lemony
and piney

Fresh or
dried

In meat
(especially lamb)
or fish dishes and
sauces

SAFFRON

Dried stigmas and

upper styles of the
saffron crocusCrocus
sativus

Pungent,
aromatic

Dried

Flavoring and
coloring in rice,
stews, curries and
fish. This is the
world's most
expensive spice

SAGE

Leaves of the sage Musty, slightly

plant Salvia officinalis
bitter

Fresh or
dried

Beef, fish dishes,

stews, stuffings;
common sausage
flavoring

Fresh; dried As a garnish, in

a very poor sauces, soups and
substitute
salads

SALT

Salt mines, seawater

Salty

Granular

Baking,
preserving,
curing, as a
condiment

SESAME SEED

Seeds of the sesame

plantSesamum
indicum

Nutty

Whole

In breads and
cookies, in salad
dressings

STAR ANISE

Star-shaped fruit of a Very similar to

tree native to
anise
ChinaIllicium verum

Whole

In herbal tea
mixtures, in
chicken or
casserole dishes,

or use as you
would anise
SUMMER
SAVORY

Leaves of the summer Cross between

savory plantSatureja
thyme and
hortensis
mint, a bit
milder than
winter savory

TARRAGON

Leaves of the French

tarragon
plantArtemisia
dracunculus cv.
'Sativa'

THYME

Leaves of the thyme Minty, lemony

plantThymus vulgaris

TURMERIC

Root of the turmeric

plantCurcuma
domestica, a tropical
plant related to ginger

VANILLA

Beans from the vanilla Sweet, highly

Remove
With coffee, in
orchidVanilla
aromatic
seeds from desserts including
planifolia
whole, dried
ice cream,
beans; or, in
puddings and
extract
cakes

Anise-like

Pungent,
somewhat
bitter

Fresh or
dried

Pates, soups,
meat, fish and
bean dishes. Use
sparingly due to
strong taste.

Fresh or
frozen.
Russian
tarragon is
not
considered
of culinary
value.

In tartar sauce, as
flavoring for
cream sauces, in
egg dishes and
seafood salads

Fresh or
dried

In omelettes,
stews, bland
soups, and
stuffing for
chicken, or as
flavoring for
green salads and
cooked vegetables

Dried and
ground

Curries, East
Indian recipes.
This is also the
primary
ingredient in
American-style
("ballpark")
mustard.

WHITE PEPPER Peeled and dried green

peppercorns from the
pepper tree,Piper
nigrum

Similar to
black
peppercorn,
but milder

Freshly
ground

As a condiment

WINTER
SAVORY

Combination
of thyme and
mint

Dried or
fresh

Pates, soups,
meat, fish and
bean dishes. Use
sparingly due to
strong taste.

Leaves of the winter

savory plantSatureja
montana