Spices and flavours
Saffron, cardamom, turmeric, sumac, five-spice and more: where each spice sits in festivals, weddings, daily meals and the apothecary of the home.
SaffronSaffron, the dried threads of the crocus flower, is the world's most precious spice, and it colours and perfumes the festive foods of Kashmir, Iran, Spain, Morocco and Italy.8CardamomCardamom, the aromatic seed pod of a plant of the ginger family, is called the queen of spices.9TurmericTurmeric, the golden root of a plant related to ginger, colours curries and rituals alike.15CinnamonCinnamon, the dried inner bark of a tropical tree, is among the oldest spices in trade, and was once worth more than gold.17Black pepperBlack pepper, the berry of a vine native to the Malabar coast of India, is the most traded spice in the world and for centuries drove the spice routes.6ChilliChilli, the fruit of plants native to the Americas, spread round the world after 1492 and was adopted with such enthusiasm that many people think of it as indigenous to their own cuisines.16CuminCumin, the seed of a small plant of the parsley family, is among the oldest known spices, found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and today is used in the cooking of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Latin America and China.5CorianderCoriander gives two ingredients: the fresh leaves, called cilantro in the Americas, and the dried seeds, which have a citrus-like warmth.10CloveClove, the dried flower bud of a tree native to the Maluku islands of Indonesia, is one of the strongest and most aromatic spices.5GingerGinger, the knobbly root of a tropical plant, has been used for cooking and tea for more than two thousand years, in Asia first, and then across the world.15Nutmeg and maceNutmeg and mace come from the same fruit, the seed of the nutmeg tree and its red lacy covering, native to the Banda Islands of Indonesia.4VanillaVanilla, the cured pod of a tropical orchid, native to Mexico, is the most labour-intensive of spices, since each flower must be pollinated by hand.4Star aniseStar anise, the eight-pointed dried fruit of a small evergreen tree native to southern China and Vietnam, gives a warm, liquorice-like flavour.1FennelFennel seeds, from a plant of the parsley family, have a sweet, anise-like taste, and are chewed after meals in India, used in Italian sausage and pork dishes, and brewed in tea.0FenugreekFenugreek, a small golden seed with a bittersweet flavour and a maple-like aroma, is used whole, ground and as leaves in the cooking of India, Ethiopia, the Middle East and the Caucasus.0MustardMustard seeds, small, round and sharp, are used whole, ground and as oil, and their use ranges from Bengal fish curry to Dijon sauce, a hot dog in Chicago and the mustard greens of the American South.8SumacSumac, the dried and ground berries of a shrub, has a bright, lemony tang, and is sprinkled on salads, kebabs, rice and onions in Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and across the Middle East.2Za'atarZa'atar is both a wild herb, a kind of thyme or oregano, and the blend made from it with sesame seeds, sumac and salt.0SesameSesame seeds, among the oldest oilseeds cultivated, are used across the world in bread, sweets, oil, paste and sauces.17TamarindTamarind, the sticky, sour pulp of a pod from a tropical tree, gives a sharp sweet-sour taste to food in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, the Caribbean and Mexico.3GarlicGarlic, the pungent bulb of an onion relative, has been eaten and prized since the earliest civilisations, in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China.11PaprikaPaprika, a powder ground from dried red peppers, is the national spice of Hungary and an important one in Spain and the Balkans.2Sichuan pepperSichuan pepper, the husk of the prickly ash berry, is not a true pepper.0AllspiceAllspice, the dried berry of a Caribbean tree, tastes like a mix of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, hence the name.0AsafoetidaAsafoetida, or hing, is a resin from the roots of a giant fennel plant, which has a strong smell when raw and a savoury, onion-like flavour when cooked in hot oil.1NigellaNigella seeds, also known as kalonji or black cumin, are small black seeds with an oniony, peppery taste, scattered on naan and bread, in pickles, in Bengali panch phoron and in the breads of the Middle East.1Curry leafCurry leaf, the aromatic leaf of a small tree of South Asia, has nothing to do with curry powder but is a basic flavour of South Indian, Sri Lankan and some Southeast Asian cooking.1LemongrassLemongrass, a tall grass with a lemony, floral scent, gives a fresh and citrus note to the foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and is brewed as a tea in West Africa and the Caribbean.1Rose waterRose water, made by distilling rose petals, is an old perfume and flavouring of Persia, which spread across the Middle East, Central Asia, India and North Africa.3MintMint, a fresh and cooling herb, flavours tea, salads, sauces and drinks across the world: Moroccan mint tea, Indian chutney, British mint sauce, Vietnamese rolls and Cuban mojitos.3Garam masalaGaram masala, meaning warming spice mix, is a blend of ground spices, typically cardamom, cinnamon, clove, cumin, coriander and pepper, used at the end of cooking in North Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi dishes.0Five-spiceFive-spice powder, a Chinese blend of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seed, is meant to balance the five flavours, sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty, and relates to the five elements of Chinese thought.0Ras el hanoutRas el hanout, meaning head of the shop, is a Moroccan blend of many spices, sometimes as many as thirty, chosen by the spice seller as the best he has.0HarissaHarissa is a hot chilli paste from Tunisia, made with roasted peppers, garlic, caraway, coriander and olive oil, and used in the cooking of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco.0Jerk seasoningJerk is a Jamaican seasoning and a method of cooking, in which meat is rubbed with a paste of allspice, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, scallion and spices, and slowly smoked over pimento wood.0