Your ultimate guide.
We often we buy a herb or spice to use in one particular recipe. This results in the jar or packet sitting in your pantry for months on end. Why? Because you don’t know how else to use it. Can it be used in an egg recipe, or with seafood? Does it go into desserts, or in bread? This chart will help guide you on what foods you can use herbs and spices.
About Each Herb & Spice
Allspice
Allspice berries are the dried, unripe fruits of a tropical evergreen tree native to Jamaica. The name allspice is given because the flavour is like a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You can use it in place of any of those spices.
Anise Star
Anise star (or star anise) is a spice made from the fruit of the Chinese evergreen tree. This spice is aptly named for the star-shaped pods from which the spice seeds are harvested. The flavour is reminiscent of licorice. While there are similarities in both flavour and name with anise, the two spices are unrelated.
Basil
Basil is a herb in the mint family. It is a flavourful, leafy green herb that originated in Asia and Africa. The leaves are used fresh or dried. In general, it is added last, as cooking quickly destroys the flavour. There are two types of basil – Thai and sweet. Thai basil has sturdy, resilient leaves that stand up well to extended cooking times and prolonged heat. Sweet basil, however, has more delicate leaves and a sweeter flavour with more peppery notes.
Bay Leaf
Bay leaves are a fragrant leaf from the laurel tree used as a herb. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption. As the leaves dry, As the leaves dry, the flavour intensifies.
Caraway
The caraway plant is native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Caraway fruits, informally called seeds, are smooth and crescent-shaped about 3mm long, and with a distinctive but pleasant smell when crushed. Caraway seeds are a common savoury spice in traditional European baking, due to their distinct earthy fennel and anise taste and sharp aroma.
Cardamon
This spice is native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia and is in the ginger family. Cardamon has a strong, unique taste. It has a complex aroma with a piney, fruity, and almost menthol-like flavour. Cardamon is used as both seeds or ground in many Indian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Swedish recipes.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is simply ground cayenne peppers with a Scoville unit rating of 30,000 to 50,000. It is usually a moderately hot chilli pepper used to flavour dishes. Cayenne pepper is often used in a blend of different types of chilli peppers. This is commonly used in a wide range of world cuisines such as Creole, Asian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Korean.
Chilli Pepper (crushed)
In a jar of crushed red pepper flakes, you’ll see the lighter-coloured seeds mixed in with the dried red flesh of the peppers. Those seeds add a serious kick of heat. Crushed chilli peppers are frequently found in a variety of dishes including Italian, Indian, Mexican and Caribbean.
Chives
Chives are herbs with slender, uniformly green stems that resemble spring onions. However, they have a milder and more delicate flavour. When cooked, chives can easily become bitter, making the best used raw. Chive stems are typically chopped and are most often used as a garnish making them good on just about anything.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice made from the bark of species of the cinnamon tree. It can be purchased in its reddish-brown ground form or in the form of curled sticks (quills). Chinese cinnamon (grown in southern Bangladesh, China, India, Uganda, and Vietnam) is actually cassia and is cheaper to produce. However, cassia has a bolder, less subtle flavour than true cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon (grown in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Vietnam, and Madagascar) has a delicate, nuanced flavour. While both versions are used in baked goods, desserts, and drinks, they are also used in savoury dishes in some cuisines.
Cloves
Grown in India, Indonesia and Madagascar, this is a spice made from the flower buds of an evergreen tree called the clove tree. Cloves are a pungent warm spice with a subtle sweet flavour. They are found in savoury dishes, desserts, and drinks. Cloves are often used along with cinnamon and nutmeg in sweet dishes. They are sold in both whole and ground form. Whole cloves infuse their flavour into dishes but are usually removed before serving as they do not soften completely in the cooking process, while ground cloves are more easily incorporated into dishes.
Coriander (Cilantro)
“Cilantro” is Spanish for “coriander”, which is among the most popular of herbs in use today. Coriander is native to Western Asia and parts of Europe. It comes in both seed and leaf form. It has delicate, bright green leaves, similar to flat leaf parsley. This herb polarises people – coriander lovers say it has a fresh citrus taste with a strong aroma, while those who hate it say it has a soapy taste and a pungent smell.
Cumin
Cumin is a plant native to Mediterranean and South Asia regions. The seeds are cultivated and dried and used in various recipes. Cumin is among some of the oldest spices known to civilisation. Cumin seeds have an earthy heat and brightness to them that’s almost reminiscent of dried lemon peel. Both ground and whole seeds are used to flavour dishes.
Dill
Native herb to North Africa, Chad, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula. It is commonly used in European and Asian cuisine. Dill leaves are delicate in appearance with a fresh, herbaceous flavour. Dill’s flavour diminishes rapidly during the cooking process which is why it is common to add to hot dishes at the end of cooking. Alternatively, it is used in cold dishes.
Fennel
This herb is native to the Mediterranean region. Today it grows wild on the side of roads everywhere from Italy to California to Australia. Fennel seeds has a flavour similar to sweet anise seed. They are an important seasoning throughout India, Afghanistan, Iran, and the rest of the Middle East. Fennel is included in blends such as garam masala and Chinese five spice powder.
Garlic
Garlic is famous for its strong aroma and the delicious flavour it adds to meals. It is closely related to onions, shallots and chives. Garlic is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeastern Iran. However, it has long been used as a seasoning in nearly every cuisine. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavour that mellows and sweetens with cooking. While getting “garlic breath” is something most fear, it is allegedly alleviated by eating fresh parsley.
Ginger
Ginger has been used in China and India for thousands of years. The Ginger plant has a root which is what we buy in the supermarket. Ginger is used in recipes all over the world. It also used for its anti-inflammatory properties, and for treating nausea. Ginger can be used whole, pickled, minced, and smashed.
Marjoram
This herb is closely related to oregano. However, it is sweeter and milder in flavour that is more similiar to thyme. Marjoram is indigenous to the Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia, and North Africa. The flavour is fresh and woody with floral and citrus notes.
Mustard
All parts of the mustard plant are edible, including the seeds, leaves, and flowers. The seeds come in black, brown and white. Black seeds have the strongest flavour and are used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Brown seeds range in colour from dark brown to yellow and are used as a spice in South Asia. White seeds however are used in North America to make prepared mustard condiments. To make prepared mustard, the seeds are ground and mixed with water, vinegar or other liquids.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a spice made from the inner portion of the seed contained inside the plant’s apricot-sized fruit. It’s derived from the seed of the nutmeg tree which is an evergreen tree native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. The spice has a distinctive pungent fragrance with a warm, slightly sweet taste. Nutmeg is commonly today in Indonesian, Indian, and European cuisine.
Oregano
Native to the Mediterranean region, it is now grown in most parts of the world. Oregano is widely used in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Hispanic, and French cuisine. This herb is related to the herb marjoram and is sometimes referred to as wild marjoram. It has an earthy, warm, and slightly bitter taste, which can vary in intensity. Dried oregano leaves are usually more intense than when fresh.
Paprika
Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. Red capsicum peppers were first grown in Central Mexico. Then this spice made its way to Spain, and to other parts of the world. This vibrant red spice varies in flavour, heat levels, and colour depending on the type of peppers used to make the paprika. Some are hot and spicy, with predominant notes of hot chilli peppers, while others are sweet, with no heat and a mild flavour. Used heavily in Spanish and Hungarian cuisine.
Parsley
Among the most common of herbs, Parsley is native to the Mediterranean. Parsley is widely used in Western cultures for cooking as a garnish where it is served on top of the final dish. Parsley is very rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While there are four variants of parsley, both Italian and curly leaf are the most common.
Rosemary
Native to the Mediterranean region, rosemary is now grown throughout Europe and America. While rosemary is used a culinary herb, it is also commonly used as a decorative shrub. It is a multi-branched woody herb that resembles a pine tree. The flavour of rosemary has been described as piney, peppery, lemony, and woodsy. It features notes of evergreen, citrus, lavender, sage, and mint. When adding too much rosemary to a dish, it can result in it overpowering all of the other flavours. This can happen with fresh or dried rosemary, however, it is more likely to occur with the fresh herb.
Sage
It is a herb that originated in the Mediterranean. Sage has a very distinctive taste. Frying a strong herb like sage mellows its flavour. It is commonly used in Italian and British cooking. While sage is often used to season poultry or sausage, it can also be used to infuse butter, or to add flavour to root vegetables.
Sesame
Sesame seeds are used as a condiment and a source of edible oil for over 5,000 years. It is used in a wide variety of Asian dishes, on crackers and sweets in South Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Caribbean cuisine. While sesame seeds can be eaten raw, or they can be baked or toasted to bring out more of their natural nutty flavour.
Tarragon
Tarragon is a leafy green herb that is highly aromatic, and has a subtle licorice flavour. It adds a fresh, spring taste and a bit of elegance to a variety of recipes, and is commonly used in French cooking. Tarragon comes in three varieties – Russian, Mexican and French. However, when it comes to cooking, French tarragon is more commonly used.
Thyme
One of the most popular herbs in Western (American & European) dishes. Thyme is used in both fresh and dry forms. Thyme has a herbaceous, earthy flavour with small, pale green leaves. It holds up well to long cooking times and high temperatures, making it the perfect addition to heavy dishes like stews and pasta sauces.
Tumeric
The plant is part of the ginger family and is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is a deep, golden-orange spice known for adding colour, flavour and nutrition to foods.
Sources:
masterclass.com, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/, outofmilk.com, thespruceeats.com