List of kitchen spices

Spice rack with various kitchen spices in a household

The list of kitchen spices contains common spices and herbs with brief instructions for use and references to further articles.

Spices are generally understood to mean parts of plants. Other foods called spices are included under condiments .

A.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Ajowan , King cumin, Indian cumin ( Trachyspermum ammi )	Dried fruit	In Indian and Arabic cuisine with legumes, root vegetables, grilled poultry and rice dishes. Often in curry mixes.
Aniseed ( Pimpinella anisum )	Seeds	Pastries, cakes, meat dishes
Annatto ( Bixa orellana )	Seeds	Caribbean and Latin American cuisine
Asant ( Ferula asafoetida )	Resin of the rhizome	In Indian, Pakistani, Iranian and Iraqi cuisine for stews.

B.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Wild garlic ( Allium ursinum )	predominantly leaves	Pesto , salads , also as vegetables , herbal quark
Bearwort ( Meum athamanticum )	Leaves, partly roots	Herbal quark, cottage cheese, herb soup
Basil ( Ocimum basilicum )	leaves	Salads, mozzarella , Mediterranean cuisine , soups
Mugwort ( Artemisia vulgaris )	Shoot tips	bitter seasoning for fatty fish, meat and poultry
Berbere		hot spice mix of the Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine
Mountain cumin ( Laserpitium siler )	fruit	in Turkish cuisine with stews, cabbage and tomato dishes
Bertram ( Anacyclus pyrethrum )	root	spicy spice
Fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum-graecum )	Seeds	Roasted seeds in spice mixtures ( curry ), fresh or dried herbs for dishes of Indian cuisine
Savory ( Satureja hortensis and Satureja montana )	leaves	Stews, potato soup, green beans
Borage , cucumber herb ( Borago officinalis )	Leaves, flowers	with cucumber, pumpkin, leaf salads
Bread clover s. Shabby clover ( Trigonella caerulea )	herb	used for cheese production mainly in Switzerland
Watercress ( Nasturtium officinale R.Br.)	Leaves and shoots	Salads

C.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Cardamom s. Cardamom ( Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton var.cardamomum and Elettaria cardamomum var. Major Thwaites)	Seed pods	Pastries, desserts
Cayenne pepper ( Capsicum )	dried fruits of the chilli variety Cayenne	dark beef dishes, fish soups, salads
Chilli ( Capsicum )		Mixture of cayenne pepper and other spices, for meat and fish dishes, sauces, stews
Cilantro ( Eryngium foetidum )	leaves	Meat dishes, sauces, stews
Cumin ( cumin ) ( Cuminum cyminum )	Seeds	in India mainly in spice mixtures ( Garam masala )
Turmeric s. Turmeric ( Curcuma longa )	Rhizome	Part of most curry mixes, coloring agent
Curry leaves ( Murraya koenigii )	leaves	in Indian vegetable dishes, fresh with curry mixes
Curry herb (Italian straw flower) ( Helichrysum italicum , Syn .: Helichrysum angustifolium )	Leaves, shoot axes, twigs	Soups and stews
Curry powder		Indian or Thai-style spice mixes for meat, fish, poultry, vegetables

D.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use	image
Dill ( anethum graveolens )	Leaves, seeds	Pickles, cucumber salad, fish dishes
Dost ( Origanum ) s. Oregano ( Origanum vulgare )	leaves	Mediterranean cuisine, pizza

E.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Common wedge ( Artemisia abrotanum )	Leaf tips	Bitter spice for fatty meat
Pickled spices		Spice mixture for seasoning canned vegetables
Angelica and Angelica ( Angelica archangelica )	Root and seed oil	Bitter aroma for pastries, cakes and liqueurs
Epazote also Mexican tea ( Chenopodium ambrosioides )	leaves	Mesoamerican spice for beans
Vinegar tree or sumac, s. Spice Sumach ( Rhus coriaria )	fruit	Slightly souring spice for doner kebab and other oriental meat dishes and rice stews
Tarragon ( Artemisia dracunculus )	leaves	subtle spice used in French cuisine , for salads and sauces, pickles; Part of the Herbes Fines

F.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius )	Flowers, seeds	Flower petals for coloring and substitute for saffron , seeds for making edible oil
Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare )	Seeds, tubers	Seeds for fish dishes, fennel tuber also as vegetables, fennel tea, fennel sweets
Stonecrop , especially stonecrop ( Sedum acre )	young shoots	with a sour flavor for salads, soups, herbal quark or sauces

G

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Gado-Gado sauce paste		Spice paste made from various spices used in Indonesian cuisine
Gagel ( Myrica gale )	Branches	No longer used today, earlier as a beer spice
Galangal, large , large or galanga ( Alpinia galanga , Syn .: Maranta galanga )	Rhizome	popular spice in Thai cuisine , similar to ginger
Galangal, real , Laos ( Alpinia officinarum )	dried ground rhizome	National cuisines of Indochina
Daisies ( Bellis perennis )	Leaves, flowers, buds	Herbal butter, vinegar, soups, vegetable salads
Garam Masala		Indian mixture of spices for the preparation of curries
Turmeric s. Turmeric ( Curcuma longa )	Rhizome	Part of most curry mixes, coloring agent
Clove ( Syzygium aromaticum )	dried buds	Pastries, dessert
Gochujang		hot fermented chili seasoning paste from Korea
Gomashio , Gomasio		Japanese spice mix made from roasted sesame and salt
Cucumber herb s. Borage ( Borago officinalis )	Leaves, flowers	with cucumber, pumpkin, leaf salads

H

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Harissa		hot chilli paste from North Africa with grilled meat and couscous
Herbes Fines	Leaves of different herbs	Herbal mixture of Mediterranean cuisine, vegetables, salads
honey		generally for sweetening, pastries, meat dishes, sauces, marinades, Peking duck , game dishes
common coltsfoot ( Tussilago farfara )	Flowers, young leaves	Soup greens, soups, sauces, sandwich toppings, potato salad, tea

I.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use	image
Ginger ( Zingiber officinale )	Rhizome	Meat dishes, rice, sauces, compotes, for pickling cucumbers, pumpkins, pears, drinks

K

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Kaffir lime , kaffir lime , kaffir lemon ( Citrus hystrix )	Fruits and fresh leaves	Citrus-flavored peel and leaves, used like lemongrass
Cocoa powder , see also chocolate	fermented dried ground seeds	Pastries, desserts
Sweet flag ( Acorus calamus )	Rhizome	Fruit soups, compotes, desserts, wine, tea, soup vegetables, herb vinegar and oil
Capers ( Capparis spinosa )	pickled flower buds	White meat dishes, fricassee , salads, Königsberger Klopse , eggs, tartar sauce, fish, cooked, quark
Nasturtium ( Tropaeolum majus L.)	Leaves, flowers	like cress for salad, flowers as decoration, marinades
Green cardamom ( Elettaria cardamomum )	Seed pods	Pastries, desserts, rice dishes (including sweet ones), apple pie
Black cardamom ( Amomum subulatum )	Seed pods	Fish dishes, rice dishes, meat broths, minced meat and mutton dishes, fried chicken
Chervil ( Anthriscus cerefolium var.cerefolium )	leaves	Salads, soups, sauces, dips, grilled dishes, mutton and chicken, mushroom dishes
Kemiri nut, light nut ( Aleurites moluccanus )	fruit	Southeast Asian cuisine
Garlic ( Allium sativum )	Onions, germs	Universal spice for all hearty dishes.
Coriander ( Coriandrum sativum )	Seed pods, fresh leaves	Baked goods, sauces, bread, pickling, marinades, legume soups, canned and marinades of fish, meat, savory, white and red cabbage, spice mixtures, carrots
Horseradish s. Horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana )	root	Use similar to mustard , with fish and meat
Cress ( Lepidium sativum )	leaves	Salad, with vegetables, fish, quark, sauces, soups, eggs, tomatoes, garnishes e.g. B. on cheese, eggs, bread, fried potatoes
Great Mullein ( Verbascum thapisformes )	blossoms	Herbal butter, vinegar, oil, tea mixtures
Cumin , also cumin ( Cuminum cyminum )	Seeds	in India mainly in spice mixtures ( Garam masala )
Cubeb pepper , tail pepper ( Piper cubeba )	Seeds	Spice mixes such as Ras el-Hanout , Indonesian cuisine, meat and vegetable dishes
Caraway seeds ( Carum carvi )	Seeds	Roasts and sauces, cabbage and salads, red cabbage, white cabbage salad, bread , rolls , sauerkraut, jacket potatoes, fried potatoes, mushroom soups
Pumpkin s. Pumpkin seed oil	Toasted pumpkin seed oil	Pumpkin seed oil for salads and bread
Turmeric ( Curcuma longa )	Rhizome	Part of most curry mixes, coloring agents, scrambled eggs, poultry ragout, mustard production

L.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Long pepper ( Piper longum )	Seed stand	like black pepper
Licorice , liquorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra )	root	in confectionery
Lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia , Syn.Lavandula officinalis )	young leaves and shoots	Fish - u. Mushroom soups, vegetable soups, roasts, herb butter, cold starters
Lovage , also called Maggi herb ( Levisticum officinale )	leaves	Beef, pork, mutton, meatloaf, soup and Vegetable stews, marinades , beef bouillon, salads, poultry, cooked fish
Lime , lime juice	fruit	Acidifier for Thai soups
Bay laurel , spice laurel ( Laurus nobilis )	leaves	Fish stock, in Indian cuisine, goulash, white and red cabbage dishes, game, cooked and braised meat, pickled spices, aspic
Laurel, Indian ( Cinnamomum tamala )	leaves	especially in dishes of North Indian cuisine
Bay laurel, Indonesian ( Syzygium polyanthum )	leaves	Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine
Scurvy Grass ( Cochlearia offic. )	leaves	Lentil and bean soup , vegetables, lettuce

M.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Macis , mace s. Nutmeg ( Myristica fragrans )	Seed coat	Use like nutmeg, with a finer flavor to pastries, Brussels sprouts , cauliflower , mashed potatoes
Almond , sweet almond, bitter almond ( Prunus dulcis )	Nutrient meat of the plant seedling	the sweet almond like poppy seeds in Indian cuisine for thickening sauces, the bitter almond for flavoring baked goods, liqueur
Marjoram ( Origanum majorana )	leaves	Meat dishes, in particular poultry, salads, pies, fried potatoes, potato soup, sausage production , legume soups, offal
spreading message ( Atriplex patula )	young leaves, seeds	Marinades, soup greens, herb vinegar, dipping
Horseradish , horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana )	root	Use similar to mustard with fish and meat, often also as horseradish cream, as a mixture with whipped cream
Melissa s. Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis )	leaves	as a substitute for lemongrass, with fish, poultry, salads, desserts, as tea
Mint ( mentha )	leaves	Tea, liqueurs, and sauces in English and Indian cuisine
Mitsuba ( Cryptotaenia japonica )	Leaves, stems	Japanese cuisine, soups, sushi, tempura
Poppy seeds ( Papaver somniferum )	Seeds	sweet and bitter, nutty , pastries, bread
Nutmeg , nut, blossom ( Myristica fragrans )	Seed core	Potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, dumplings, salads, cheese casseroles, black salsify, carrots, ragout, Christmas biscuits, fresh sausage and minced meat, spinach, mashed potatoes
Myrrh chervil s. Sweet umbel ( Myrrhis odorata , Syn. Scandix odorata )	Leaves, seeds	Herbs with a licorice-like taste

N

seasoning	Used plant parts	use	image
Carnation s. Clove ( Syzygium aromaticum )	dried buds	Pastries, dessert
Clove pepper s. Allspice ( Pimenta dioica , Syn .: Pimenta officinalis )	dried unripe fruits	Meat dishes, fish dishes, Caribbean cuisine

O

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Oil pumpkin	Roasted Seed Oil	Pumpkin seed oil for salads and bread
Orange peel, juice ( Citrus × aurantium L.)	fruit	Cakes, sauces, including synthesized
Oregano , wild marjoram ( Origanum vulgare )	leaves	Mediterranean cuisine, pizza

P

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Pandanus ( Pandanus amaryllifolius )	fresh leaves	Seasoning for rice dishes, Indonesian cuisine
Grains of Paradise ( Aframomum melegueta )	dried seeds	Sharpening agent for Moroccan and Tunisian stews
Paprika , Sweet, Rose ( Capsicum )	dried ground fruits	braised beef, chicken , goulash , tomato soup
Parsnip (root) ( Pastinaca sativa )	root	Soups, boiled beef , pot au feu , milder than parsley root
Hot peppers ( capsicum )	fresh or dried fruits	Sharpening agents
Perilla , Shiso, Kkaennip, Sesame Leaf ( Perilla frutescens )	leaves	Japanese and Korean cuisine
Parsley , smooth P., curly P., -root ( Petroselinum crispum )	Leaves and root	Vegetables, salads, soups, salmon
Pepper , white, black, green ( Piper nigrum )	Fruits, ripe differently	Universal seasoning to give food hot
Peppermint ( Mentha x piperita )	leaves	Salads, sauces, mixed drinks, roast mutton, mushrooms
Allspice , clove pepper ( Pimenta dioica , Syn .: Pimenta officinalis )	dried unripe fruits	Meat dishes, fish dishes, Caribbean cuisine
Pimpinelle ( Sanguisorba minor )	Leaves and flowers	Salads, mushroom dishes, game, soups, vinegar and butter
Purslane ( Portulaca oleracea )	young leaves and flowers	Leaf, cucumber and tomato salad, sauces, soups

Q

seasoning	Used plant parts	use	image
Quendel , wild thyme ( Thymus pulegioides )	leaves	Sauces, stews, meat etc. -fillings, lard, mushroom dishes, vegetables, legumes, quark, sausage production, marinades, pickles, fish

R.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Ras el-Hanout		Spice mixture from Morocco for couscous, meat dishes
Rhubarb ( rheum rhabarbarum )	Petioles	Acidulants
Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis )	leaves	Meat dishes, lamb, potatoes, fish, marinades, cheese, mushroom and tomato preparations, tea
red wine		Sauces, for pickling, marinating , beef bourguignon, coq au vin
Rouille		Seasoning paste, for bouillabaisse and other stews
Arugula , Salatrauke, rocket ( Eruca sativa )	leaves	Salads, risotto

S.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Saffron ( crocus sativus )	Pistils	Soups, pastries, rice dishes
Sage ( Salvia officinalis )	leaves	Pasta , meat dishes, Italian cuisine
salt		Universal seasoning and flavor enhancer
Sambal , e.g. B. Sambal Oelek, Sambal Trassie		Chili-based spice paste, Indonesian cuisine , Asian cuisine
Sassafras , ( Sassafras albidum )	dried leaves	Louisiana, southern US, Creole, seafood, fish, poultry
Sorrel ( Rumex acetosa )	young leaves	Fish, marinades, sauces, soups, quark, butter, herb oil and vinegar
Black clover or bread clover ( Trigonella caerulea )	herb	used for cheese production mainly in Switzerland
Shallot ( allium )	Onions	milder, gentler than the onion , salads, fish dishes, also as vegetables
Yarrow ( Achillea millefolium )	Leaves and shoots	Marinades, dips, quark, herb butter, herb oil, vinegar
Chives ( Allium tuberosum )	leaves	Asian cuisine, salads, soups, egg dishes
Chives ( Allium schoenoprasum )	leaves	Vegetables, salads
Black cumin , nigella ( Nigella sativa )	Seeds	Bread, meat, poultry
Celery , leaves, salt ( Apium graveolens )	leaves	Salads, soups
Mustard ( Brassica alba, Brassica juncea and Brassica nigra )	Seeds	Sauces, salads, also as a seasoning mix, pickling seasoning , sausage seasoning
Soumbala ( Parkia biglobosa )	fermented seeds	used in West Africa for sauces and rice dishes, made from fermented pods from the Néré tree
Ribwort plantain ( Plantago lanceolata )	leaves	Meat dishes, fillings, marinades, soups, herb butter, mixed pickles
Star anise ( Illicium verum )	Seeds	Pastries, meat dishes, desserts, plum jam, confectionery production
Stevia ( Stevia rebaudiana )	leaves	the leaves are very sweet
Sumac ( Rhus coriaria )	fruit	Slightly souring spice for doner kebab and other oriental meat dishes and rice stews
Cicely , myrrh chervil ( Myrrhis odorata , Syn. Scandix odorata )	Leaves, seeds	Herbs with a licorice-like taste
Licorice s. Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra )	root	in confectionery
Szechuan pepper ( Zanthoxylum piperitum )	Seed pods	Woody-hot, sparkling spice for wok dishes

T

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Tamarind ( Tamarindus indica )	Pods of the tamarind tree	Asian, African and South American cuisine, chillies
Tanduri masala		Indian spice mixture for marinating meat dishes
Tasmanian mountain pepper ( Tasmannia lanceolata )	Seeds; leaves	like pepper
Tonka bean ( Dipteryx odorata )	Seeds	sweet, similar to vanilla , for cookies and pastries, desserts
Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris )	leaves	Sauces, stews, meat and fillings, lard, mushroom dishes, vegetables, legumes, quark, sausage production, marinades, pickles, fish
Tripmadam ( Sedum rupestre , Syn .: Petrosedum rupestre , Sedum reflexum L.)	Shoot tips	Soups, salads
Truffle ( tuber )	Mushroom bodies	Sauces, game dishes , pies
Tschubritza		Bulgarian spice mix

V

seasoning	Used plant parts	use	image
Vanilla ( Vanilla planifolia )	fermented capsule fruits	Dessert, sauces, synthesized as vanillin

W.

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Wasabi , Japanese horseradish ( Eutrema japonica )	Rhizome	with sushi , tempura , otherwise like horseradish
Juniper ( Juniperus communis )	dried berries	Roasts, sauces, sauerkraut , pickling, game, fish dishes and marinades, smoked additives
Woodruff ( Galium odoratum )	herb	Dessert, punch (caution: liver damaging)
Wood-herb ( Epilobium angustifolium )	young leaves	Sweets, salads, syrups
Water pepper ( Persicaria hydropiper , Syn .: Polygonum hydropiper )	Leaves and seeds	in Japanese cuisine with rice dishes and salads
Grape leaves ( Vitis vinifera var. Vinifera )	leaves	for stewing , pickling vegetables
Rue ( Ruta graveolens )	leaves	Game, fish

Y

seasoning	Used plant parts	use	image
Hyssop ( hyssopus officinalis )	young leaves	Stew, soup, fish and meat dishes

Z

seasoning	Used plant parts	use
Chicory ( Cichorium intybus )	Leaves, roots, sprouts	Roasts and sauces, wild herb sauces, vegetables
Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum JS Presl)	inner bark layer; dried flowers	Roast, Arabic cuisine , pastries, dessert, rice pudding, fruit preparations, rice salad, red cabbage, quark, punch, in gingerbread spices
Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus , Syn .: Andropogon citratus DC.)	Culms and leaf base	Wok dishes , satay or saté, Thai cuisine
Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis )	leaves	As a substitute for lemongrass, with fish, poultry, salads, with herbs: -butter -sauces -soups -quark, cold roasts, as tea
Lemon , zest, juice ( Citrus × limon )	fruit	Sauces, marinades, desserts, pastries, especially acidulants, including synthesized
Lemon bush	leaves	Little known in German-speaking countries: desserts, salads
Lemon thyme ( Thymus × citriodorus )	leaves	Fish, meat, soups, salads and desserts (ice cream)
Lemon root , white turmeric ( Curcuma zedoaria )	Rhizome	little used Thai spice
sugar		Universal seasoning and flavor enhancer
Onion ( Allium cepa )	Onions	Roast, vegetables, salad, independent vegetables , pickles, fried potatoes, fish