List of culinary herbs and spices

A spice market in Istanbul

This is a list of culinary herbs and spices. Specifically these are food or drink additives of mostly botanical origin used in nutritionally insignificant quantities for flavoring or coloring.

This list does not contain salt, which is a mineral, nor is it for fictional plants such as aglaophotis, or recreational drugs such as tobacco.

This list is not for plants used primarily as herbal teas or tisanes, nor for plant products that are purely medicinal, such as valerian.

A

• Ajwain, carom seeds (Trachyspermum ammi) (South Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt, Eritrea & Ethiopia)
• Akudjura (Solanum centrale) (Australia)
• Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum)
• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
• Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria), for red color
• Alligator pepper, mbongo spice (mbongochobi), hepper pepper (Aframomum danielli, A. citratum, A. exscapum) (West Africa)
• Allspice (Pimenta dioica)
• Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
• Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
• Aniseed myrtle (Syzygium anisatum) (Australia)
• Annatto (Bixa orellana)
• Apple mint (Mentha suaveolens)
• Asafoetida (Ferula assafoetida)
• Asarabacca (Asarum europaeum)
• Avens (Geum urbanum)
• Avocado leaf (Peresea americana)

B

• Barberry (Berberis vulgaris and other Berberis spp.)
• Basil, sweet (Ocimum basilicum)
• Basil, lemon (Ocimum × citriodorum)
• Basil, Thai (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora)
• Basil, Holy (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
• Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis)
• Boldo (Peumus boldus)
• Borage (Borago officinalis)
• Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum, Amomum costatum)
• Black mustard (Brassica nigra)
• Blue fenugreek, blue melilot (Trigonella caerulea)
• Brown mustard (Brassica juncea)

C

• Calabash nutmeg, ehuru (Monodora myristica) (West Africa)
• Calendula, pot marigold (Calendula officinalis)
• Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora)
• Canelo, Winter's Bark (Drimys winteri) (Chile and Argentina)
• Caraway (Carum carvi)
• Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)
• Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)
• Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
• Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum)
• Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum)
• Celery seed (Apium graveolens)
• Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
• Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
• Chili pepper (Capsicum spp.)
• Chocolate groung (Capsicum annuum)
• Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
• Cicely, sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
• Cilantros, coriander greens, coriander herb (Coriandrum sativum)
• Cinnamon, Indonesian (Cinnamomum burmannii, Cassia vera)
• Cinnamon, Saigon or Vietnamese (Cinnamomum loureiroi)
• Cinnamon, true or Ceylon (Cinnamomum verum, C. zeylanicum)
• Cinnamon, white (Canella winterana)
• Cinnamon myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia) (Australia)
• Clary, Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)
• Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)
• Coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum)
• Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita)
• Cuban oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus)
• Cubeb pepper (Piper cubeba)
• Cudweed (Gnaphalium spp.) (Vietnam)
• Culantro, culangot, long coriander (Eryngium foetidum)
• Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
• Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii)
• Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum)

D

• Dill seed (Anethum graveolens)
• Dill herb or weed (Anethum graveolens)

E

• Elderflower (Sambucus spp.)
• Epazote (Dysphania ambrosioides)

F

• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
• Filé powder, gumbo filé (Sassafras albidum)
• Fingerroot, krachai, temu kuntji (Boesenbergia rotunda)

G

• Galangal, greater (Alpinia galanga)
• Galangal, lesser (Alpinia officinarum)
• Galingale (Cyperus spp.)
• Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)
• Garlic (Allium sativum)
• Garlic, elephant (Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum)
• Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
• Ginger, torch, bunga siantan (Etlingera elatior) (Indonesia)
• Golpar, Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum) (Iran)
• Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta)
• Grains of Selim, Kani pepper (Xylopia aethiopica)

H

• Hopsousesuers (Humulus lupulus)
• Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)
• Houttuynia (Houttuynia cordata) (Vietnam)
• Huacatay, Mexican marigold, mint marigold (Tagetes minuta)
• Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

I

• Indonesian bay leaf, daun salam (Syzygium polyanthum)

J

• Jasmine flowers (Jasminum spp.)
• Jimbu (Allium hypsistum) (Nepal)
• Juniper berry (Juniperus communis)

K

• Kaffir lime leaves, Makrud lime leaves (Citrus hystrix) (Southeast Asia)
• Kala Zeera, black cumin (Bunium persicum) (South Asia)
• Kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) (New Zealand)
• Kencur, galangal, kentjur (Kaempferia galanga)
• Keluak, kluwak, kepayang (Pangium edule)
• Kokam seed (Garcinia indica) (Indian confectionery)
• Korarima, Ethiopian cardamom, false cardamom (Aframomum corrorima) (Eritrea)
• Koseret (Lippia adoensis) (Ethiopia)

L

• Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus, C. flexuosus, and other Cymbopogon spp.)
• Lemon ironbark (Eucalyptus staigeriana) (Australia)
• Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) (Australia)
• Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora)
• Leptotes bicolor (Paraguay and southern Brazil)
• Lesser calamint (Calamintha nepeta), nipitella, nepitella (Italy)
• Licorice, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• Lime flower, linden flower (Tilia spp.)
• Lovage (Levisticum officinale)

M

• Mace (Myristica fragrans)
• Mahlab, St. Lucie cherry (Prunus mahaleb)
• Malabathrum, tejpat (Cinnamomum tamala)
• Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
• Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis)
• Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus)
• Mint (Mentha spp.) 25 species, hundreds of varieties
• Mountain horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) (New Zealand)
• Musk mallow, abelmosk (Abelmoschus moschatus)
• Mustard, black, mustard plant, mustard seed (Brassica nigra)
• Mustard, brown, mustard plant, mustard seed (Brassica juncea)
• Mustard, white, mustard plant, mustard seed (Sinapis alba)

N

• Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
• Nigella, kalonji, black caraway, black onion seed (Nigella sativa)
• Njangsa, djansang (Ricinodendron heudelotii) (West Africa)
• Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)

O

• Olida (Eucalyptus olida) (Australia)
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare, O. heracleoticum, and other species)
• Orris root (Iris germanica, I. florentina, I. pallida)

P

• Pandan flower, kewra (Pandanus odoratissimus)
• Pandan leaf, screwpine (Pandanus amaryllifolius)
• Paprika (Capsicum annuum)
• Paracress (Spilanthes acmella, Soleracea) (Brazil)
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
• Pepper: black, white, and green (Piper nigrum)
• Pepper, Dorrigo (Tasmannia stipitata) (Australia)
• Pepper, long (Piper longum)
• Pepper, mountain, Cornish pepper leaf (Tasmannia lanceolata)
• Peppermint (Mentha piperata)
• Peppermint gum leaf (Eucalyptus dives)
• Perilla, shiso (Perilla spp.)
• Peruvian pepper (Schinus molle)
• Brazilian pepper or Pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius)

Q

• Quassia (Quassia amara) (bitter spice in aperitifs and some beers and fortified wines)

R

• Ramsons, wood garlic (Allium ursinum)
• Rice paddy herb (Limnophila aromatica) (Vietnam)
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• Rue (Ruta graveolens)

S

• Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), for yellow color
• Saffron (Crocus sativus)
• Sage (Salvia officinalis)
• Saigon cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi)
• Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
• Salep (Orchis mascula)
• Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
• Savory, summer (Satureja hortensis)
• Savory, winter (Satureja montana)
• Silphium, silphion, laser, laserpicium, lasarpicium (Ancient Roman cuisine, Ancient Greek cuisine)
• Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
• Sorrel, sheep (Rumex acetosella)
• Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
• Spikenard (Nardostachys grandiflora or N. jatamansi)
• Star anise (Illicium verum)
• Sumac (Rhus coriaria)
• Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)
• Szechuan pepper, Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum)

T

• Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
• Thyme, lemon (Thymus × citriodorus)
• Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

V

• Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)
• Vietnamese balm (Elsholtzia ciliata)
• Vietnamese cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi)
• Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata)
• Voatsiperifery (Piper borbonense)

W

• Wasabi (Wasabia japonica)
• Water-pepper, smartweed (Polygonum hydropiper)
• Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquatica)
• Wattleseed (from about 120 spp. of Australian Acacia)
• White mustard (Sinapis alba)
• Wild betel (Piper sarmentosum) (Southeast Asia)
• Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
• Willow herb (Epilobium parviflorum)
• Winter savory (Satureja montana)
• Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
• Wood avens, herb bennet (Geum urbanum)
• Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
• Wormwood, absinthe (Artemisia absinthium)
• viburnum bark (labheda fruit)

Y

• Yellow mustard (Brassica hirta = Sinapis alba)
• Yerba buena, any of four different species, many unrelated

Z

• Za'atar (herbs from the genera Origanum, Calamintha, Thymus, and Satureja)
• Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria)

See also

• Herb
• Spice
• Seasoning
• List of food origins
• List of capsicum cultivars
• List of basil cultivars
• Spice mix
• List of Indian spices