- Allspice: spice (whole or ground)
- Description: Dark-brown, pea-size berries from the evergreen pimento tree. Also called Jamaica pepper. Pungent flavor that resembles a sweet mixture of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
- Uses: Sausages and braised meats, poached fish, breads, cakes, cookies, stewed fruits, pies, puddings.
- Anise Seed: spice (whole or ground)
- Description: Small green-brown, comma-shaped seeds. Member of the parsley family. Sweet licorice flavor.
- Uses: breads, cakes, candies, cookies, fruit sauces, Southeast Asian recipes, Italian Sausage.
- Basil: herb (fresh leaves, or dried and crumbled)
- Description: Most varieties have green leaves, some purple. Member of the mint family. Sweet, peppery flavor, aromatic.
- Uses: Chicken, eggs, fish, pasta, pesto, tomatoes, Italian and Mediterranean recipes.
- Bay Leaves:
- Description: Whole ground leaves with a pungent aroma.
- Uses: Used basically in soups, stews and braised meats.
- Borage: herb (fresh leaves)
- Description: European herb with hairy leaves. Faint cucumber flavor.
- Uses: Salads, teas and vegetables
- Black pepper:
- Description: Sharp, penetrating aroma and a characteristic woody, piney flavor. It is hot and biting to the taste.
- Caraway Seed: spice (dried whole seeds)
- Description: Seeds from an herb in the parsley family, Nutty, licorice flavor, familiar rye bread flavor.
- Uses: Breads, cheese spreads, pickling, vegetables, cabbage, and German, Austrian and Hungarian recipes. With a tangy flavor similar to dill. It is used as a seasoning in potatoes, cabbage, carrots, sausages, rich meats, in breads and pastries. Caraway is available as the whole seed.
- Cardamom: spice (whole pod, seeds or ground)
- Description: Seeds are in pods the size of a cranberry, inside of a white or green pod. Member of the ginger family. Spicy-sweet, pungent aroma, expensive.
- Uses: Cakes, cookies, curries, fruits, Indian recipes, Scandinavian breads
- Cayenne Pepper: spice (ground)
- Description: Powdered seasoning made from a variety of tropical chiles, including red cayenne peppers. It is very hot and spicy, so use with caution. Also called red pepper. Looks like paprika. Very hot, pungent. Made from dried chilies, usually blended with garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, chili peppers, allspice, garlic, and salt. Color and spiciness varies. It has an earthy, slightly sweet, and sometimes hot flavor.
- Uses: Meats, eggs, cheese, Cajun recipes. This spice blend usually dominates food rather than enhancing it. Mexican and other Latin American dishes depend on chili powder for their characteristic flavor.
- Celery Seed: spice (whole or ground, sometimes mixed with salt - celery salt)
- Description: Seeds from wild Indian celery called lovage. Slightly bitter, strong celery flavor.
- Uses: Sparingly for pickling, salads (potato and cole slaw), soups, stuffings.
- Cilantro: herb (fresh leaves)
- Description: Bright-green stems and leaves from the coriander plant, resembles parsley. Also called coriander and Chinese parsley. Pungent, soapy fragrance.
- Uses: Fish, rice, salsas, salads, and Italian, Latin American and Mexican recipes.
- Chervil: herb (fresh sprigs or crumbled dried)
- Description: Curly, dark-green leaves. Member of the parsley family. Mild celery-licorice flavor.
- Uses: Main ingredient in "fines herbes", also used to season eggs, chicken, fish, salads, shellfish and tomatoes.
- Cinnamon: spice (whole sticks or ground)
- Description: Bark from the Ceylon (buff colored) or Cassia tree (dark reddish-brown). Aromatic, pungent. Cinnamon sticks are added to dishes during the cooking process for flavor, are not meant to be eaten.
- Uses: Cakes, cookies, hot drinks, pies, vegetables (carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes)
- Chili Powder: spice (ground)
- Description: Seasoning blend made from ground dried chiles, coriander, cumin, garlic, oregano and other herbs and spices. Mild to hot. A blend of garlic, onion, cayenne, black pepper, thyme, oregano, paprika.
- Uses: Chili, eggs and cheese, soups, stews, Mexican dishes
- Chives: herb (fresh stalks, or frozen and freeze-dried)
- Description: Slender green, grass-like with hollow stems. Related to the onion and leek. Source of vitamin A. Onion or garlic flavor.
- Uses: Appetizers, cream soups, fish, salads, egg and cheese dishes, sauces, shellfish and part of "fines herbes" blend
- Cloves:
- Description:The flavor of cloves is strong, fruity, and sweet almost hot. Cloves are available both whole and ground.
- Uses: Used for flavoring ham, pork, pickled fruit, onions, gravy, and syrup, spice cake, pumpkin pie, fruitcake, gingerbread, chili sauce, ketchup, and in combination with many other spices.
- Coriander: spice (whole or ground)
- Description: Seeds from the coriander plant, related to the parsley family (see cilantro). Mixture of lemon, sage and caraway flavors; musty.
- Uses: Baking, pickling, and Mexican and Spanish recipes, sausage, curries
- Cumin:
- Description: Penetrating musty, earthy flavor with some green, grassy nuances. Cumin is available as whole seed and ground.
- Uses: It is a principal ingredient in both chili powder and curry powder. Middle Eastern, Mexican Indian, and North African recipes often include cumin. Also used in curries, stews, and chili.
- Dill:
- Description:An annual of the parsley family and is related to anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, and fennel. The seeds are light brown in color, strongly aromatic, and warming to the taste. Dill weed has a subtle, anise like, sweet flavor. Dill is available as the whole seed and as chopped leaves, called dill weed.
- Uses: Dill weed is used in salads, sauces, egg dishes, and especially in seafood dishes. Dill seed is used primarily to flavor pickles and in bread, potato, and vegetable dishes. It works well with a variety of culinary dishes such as omelets, soups, stuffed grape leaves, potato salad, cucumber, veal, breads, cabbage, meat stews and rice. It is also widely used with herring, salmon and other seafood dishes.
- Garlic:
- Description: Can be conveniently purchased as fresh bulbs, dehydrated powder, minced flakes, and blends with salt. It adds flavor to almost any dish.
- Uses: Garlic is especially popular in Italian cuisine and throughout the Mediterranean region and Asia. Sprinkle to taste on hamburgers, lamb, chuck roast, steak, chicken, Italian green beans, zucchini, tomatoes and green salads. Use with sour cream or cream cheese for dips. Sprinkle on stuffed eggs.
- Fennel Seeds: spice (dried whole)
- Description: Oval, greenish-brown seeds from the fennel plant. Aromatic, slight licorice flavor, larger than anise seed.
- Uses: Breads, fish, sauces, sausage, soups, Italian recipes
- Fines Herbes: blended herbs (crumbled dried leaves)
- Description: French seasoning made from a mixture of finely chopped herbs, usually chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon.
- Uses: Cheese, eggs, fish, poultry. A blend of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, coriander seeds, aniseed, cumin, chili powder.
- Garam Masala: blended herbs
- Description: Blend mixture of herbs (bay leaves, cardomons, cinnamon, black cumin, cloves, black peppercorns and nutmeg).
- Uses: Use sparingly near the end of cooking Indian dishes
- Ginger: spice (fresh, dried, crystallized or ground)
- Description: Light brown, gnarled and bumpy root from the ginger plant. Peppery, slightly sweet with a pungent and spicy aroma.
- Uses: Cakes, cookies, marinades; Chinese, Jamaican and German recipes; DON'T substitute dry ginger powder for recipes specifying fresh ginger.
- Juniper Berries: spice (dried whole)
- Description: Slightly soft berries that resemble the size and color of blueberries. Pungent, piney flavor, bitter when raw, principle flavoring in gin.
- Uses: Marinades, game dishes, sauerkraut .
- Lemon Balm: herb (fresh sprigs)
- Description: Mint-like leaves, also called balm. Sweet, lemon flavor with a citrus scent.
- Uses: Jams and jellies, salads, soups, teas
- Lemon Grass: herb (fresh or dried stalks or ground)
- Description: Long, thin, gray-green leaves. Lemon flavor and fragrance, very fibrous.
- Uses: Fish, chicken, shellfish, soups; Thai and Indonesian recipes.
- Mace: spice (dried blades or ground)
- Description: Brown outer covering of the nutmeg seed that turns yellow-orange when dried. Milder flavor and smell than nutmeg.
- Uses: Custards, fruit desserts (peaches, plums and apples), spice cakes and cookies, vegetables (carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower)
- Marjoram:
- Description: Distinctly aromatic green and pleasant woody flavor, with a slightly bitter undertone. Available in both leaf and ground forms, marjoram should be used sparingly at first.
- Uses: It complements the flavor of chicken and turkey stuffing, vegetable and bean soup, as well as tomato sauces. Marjoram also enhances the flavor of many meat dishes.
- Mint: herb (leaves or flakes)
- Description: Peppermint and spearmint are two of the most popular kinds of the 25 or more varieties that exist. Strong, sweet, familiar cool aftertaste.
- Uses: Beverages, desserts, lamb, sauces, soups
- Mustard Seed: spice (whole or ground)
- Description: White (or yellow) and brown (or Asian) seeds are two major types. The brown is stronger. Hot, very pungent.
- Uses: Meats, pickling, relishes, sauces and gravies.
- Nutmeg:
- Description: A strong cinnamon, nutty flavor used to flavor sweets, fruit dishes, sauces and vegetables. Nutmeg is available both whole and ground. Mace is sold primarily in the ground form.
- Uses: Nutmeg and mace are most commonly used in flavoring sweet foods such as puddings, cakes, and cookies. They are also used in meat products such as sausage. Mace is the lacy covering of the Nutmeg which is the seed of the fruit.
- Oregano: herb (fresh leaves or crumbled dried)
- Description: Member of the mint family, related to marjoram and thyme. Strong, aromatic with a pungent "pizza" flavor.
- Uses: Fish, meat, poultry, tomato sauces; Greek, Italian and Mexican recipes
- Parsley:
- Description:A slightly mild green taste. Parsley is available fresh or as dried flakes.
- Uses: It adds both flavor and visual appeal to salads, soup, pasta, butters, shellfish, meat, poultry, sauces, potatoes, omelets and soft cheeses.
- Paprika: spice (ground)
- Description: Dried, sweet red peppers ground into a powder. Slightly bitter, ranging from sweet to hot (Mexican is brighter in color and sweeter in taste than Hungarian, which is darker and more pungent).
- Uses: Dips, fish, poultry, salads (potato and egg), soups; necessary ingredient in goulash
- Parsley: herb (fresh sprigs or crumbled dried)
- Description: Most widely used herb. Curly leaf and Italian (flat-leaf) parsley are but only two of the more popular varieties that exist. Delicate, slightly peppery taste. Uses: Sprigs used as garnish, herb mixtures (see fines herbes), sauces, soups, stews. Wide variety of uses.
- Peppercorns:
- Description:are small black, white or green dried hard berries with a pungent flavor used in almost every recipe.
- Poppy Seeds: spice (whole)
- Description: Tiny (less than 1/16 inch in diameter), blue-black seeds from the poppy plant. Crunchy texture, faint nutty flavor.
- Uses: Breads, cakes, pastries, salad dressings, vegetables, meat sauces
- Rosemary: herb (fresh sprigs or whole dried)
- Description: Silver-green, pine needle-shaped leaves; member of the mint family. Sweet, hint of lemon and pine.
- Uses: Casseroles, fish, fruit salads, lamb, chicken, soups, stuffings, tomato sauce
- Saffron: spice (whole threads or powdered)
- Description: Most expensive spice. Dried yellow-orange stigmas from the crocus plant. Adds bright yellow color to foods. Mild and distinctive flavor. Should be steeped in hot liquids before use.
- Uses: Rice, poultry, sauces, stews (bouillabaisse), Spanish recipes (paella), Swedish cakes and breads.
- Sage: herb (fresh sprigs, dried whole leaves, crumbled, ground)
- Description: Narrow, oval, gray-green leaves. Musty, minty, slightly bitter, "sausage" flavor.
- Uses: Chicken, duck, goose, pork, sausages, stuffings.
- Sesame Seed: spice (dried whole seeds)
- Description: Tiny, flat seeds pale ivory (most common), brown, red or black. Familiar hamburger bun garnish. Nutty, slightly sweet. Uses: Breads, cakes, cookies, dips, poultry, salad dressings, seafood
- Tarragon: herb (leaves, whole or crushed)
- Description: Delicate, narrow, pointed, dark-green leaves. Mild licorice flavor.
- Uses: Eggs, meats, pickling, poultry, salads, sauces, dressings, "fines herbes" blend
- Thyme: herb (leaves or ground)
- Description: Garden thyme (most common) is a bush with gray-green leaves, member of the mint family. Very aromatic, minty, tea-like.
- Uses: Fish, meats, poultry, soups, stocks, vegetables (eggplants, mushrooms, potatoes and summer squash)
- Turmeric: spice (ground)
- Description: Intense yellow-orange root of a tropical plant related to ginger; used to flavor and color food. Use carefully as it can stain. Pungent, slightly bitter, earthy flavor.
- Uses: Primary ingredient in American-style mustard, Curries, East Indian recipes
- White pepper:
- Description: Similar but more earthy flavor than black pepper. Used in many dishes, sauces, rubs, and marinades. Experiment to decide how much you like.
Health Uses:
- Herb- Basil:
- Anticancer
- Foods: Tomatoes, stews, soups, salads, pasta, poultry, fish, beef
- Spice- Cinnamon:
- Antioxidant, lowers blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes
- Foods: Breads, fruit, winter squash, chicken, lamb, beef
- Herb- Dill:
- Anticancer
- Foods: Cucumbers, salads, green vegetables, fish
- Spice- Garlic:
- Anticancer, lowers cholesterol, decreases blood clotting
- Foods: Most vegetables, starches and meats
- Spice- Ginger:
- Anticancer, pain relief; reduces indigestion, inflammation
- Foods: Asian cuisine, fruit, tea, chicken, fish, dessert
- Herb- Mint:
- Anticancer
- Foods: Middle Eastern cuisine, cucumbers, salads, peas, fish, lamb
- Herb- Oregano:
- Kills bacteria and parasites
- Italian cuisine, tomato dishes, salads, stews, lamb, beef
- Herb- Rosemary:
- Anticancer
- Green vegetables, potatoes, stews, pork, poultry, lamb, shrimp, hamburgers
- Herb- Thyme:
- Anticancer
- Foods: Eggs, salads, soup, most vegetables, fish, poultry
- Spice- Tumeric:
- Anticancer, reduces inflammation, maintains cognitive function
- Foods: Indian cuisine, green vegetables, potatoes, pasta, rice, poultry, fish
