Category
page 1Spices
Allium sativum
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and western Asia, stretching from the Black Sea through the southern Caucasus, northeastern Iran, and the Hindu Kush. It has naturalized in many other parts of the world, including Mediterranean Europe and China. There are two subspecies and hundreds of varieties of garlic.

ginger
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about one meter tall, bearing narrow leaf blades. The inflorescences bear flowers having pale yellow petals with purple edges, and arise directly from the rhizome on separate shoots.

spice
thumb|Spices at a central market in Agadir, [[Morocco]]
thumb|A group of Indian spices|Indian herbs and spices in bowls
thumb|Spices of Saúde flea market, São Paulo, [[Brazil]]

black pepper
species of plant
Coriandrum sativum
Coriander (), or Coriandrum sativum, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. The leaves are known as cilantro () in the United States (but not in the United Kingdom). Most people perceive the leaves as having a fresh, slightly citrus taste. Due to variations in the gene OR6A2, some people perceive its flavor to be more soaplike or rotten.

clove
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or fragrance in consumer products, such as toothpaste, soaps, or cosmetics. Cloves are available throughout the year owing to different harvest seasons across various countries.

Curcuma longa
Turmeric (), or Curcuma longa (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing.

Sesamum indicum
Sesame (; Sesamum indicum) is a plant in the genus Sesamum, also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. World production in 2018 was , with Sudan, Myanmar, and India as the largest producers.
Foeniculum vulgare
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks.

cinnamon
thumb|Dried bark strips, bark powder and flowers of the small tree Cinnamomum verum

Tamarindus indica
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae.

Anethum graveolens
Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. Native to North Africa and West Asia, dill is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food.

Pimpinella anisum
Anise (; '''''), also called aniseed or rarely anix', is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia.

Carum carvi
Caraway (Carum carvi), also known as meridian fennel, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
liquorice
Liquorice (Commonwealth English) or licorice (American English; see spelling differences; ) is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glabra, a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring is extracted.
Cuminum cyminum
Cumin (, ; ; Cuminum cyminum) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole and ground form. Although cumin is used in traditional medicine, there is no high-quality evidence that it is safe or effective as a therapeutic agent.

Cichorium intybus
thumb|Botanical illustration (1885)

Acorus calamus
species of plant

Trigonella foenum-graecum
thumb|Fenugreek greens

saffron
alt=Saffron|thumb|Saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, with its vivid crimson stigmas and styles
nutmeg
Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus Myristica; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg (M. fragrans) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, and mace, from the seed covering. It is also a commercial source of nutmeg essential oil and nutmeg butter. The Banda Islands, in Maluku, Indonesia, are the main producer of nutmeg and mace, and the true nutmeg tree is native to the islands.

Nigella sativa
species of annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae

Armoracia rusticana
thumb|right|Sections of roots of the horseradish plant
thumb|upright|Foliage of the horseradish plant
mustard
condiment made from various varieties of mustard seeds

Capparis spinosa
alt=Capparis spinosa fruit in Behbahan|thumb|Capparis spinosa fruits in Behbahan

camphor
Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapur tree (Dryobalanops sp.), a tall timber tree from South East Asia. It also occurs in some other related trees in the laurel family, notably Ocotea usambarensis. Rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus officinalis) contain 0.05 to 0.5% camphor, while camphorweed (Heterotheca) contains some 5%. A major source of camphor in Asia is camphor basil (the parent of African blue

Illicium verum
species of plant

cardamom
thumb|True cardamom plant (Elettaria cardamomum)
thumb|Cardamom seeds

Cinnamomum camphora
species of plant

Phyllanthus emblica
species of plant
Elettaria cardamomum
species of plant

Eutrema japonicum
Wasabi (Japanese: , , or , ) or Japanese horseradish (Eutrema japonicum syn. Wasabia japonica) is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. The plant is native to Japan, the Russian Far East including Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula. It grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan.

myrrh
thumb|right|alt=Small lumps of myrrh resin|Myrrh resin

Berberis vulgaris
species of plant
Rhus
Sumac or sumach ( , )—not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus (and related genera) of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is Rhus coriaria that is most commonly used for culinary purposes. Sumac is prized as a spice—especially in Arab cuisine, and other Eastern cuisines—and used as a dye and holistic remedy. The plants grow in subtropical and temperate regions, on nearly every continent except Antarctica and South America.
It holds cultural significance as a symbolic item on the Haft-sin table during N
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vanilla
upright|thumb|right|Vanilla planifolia, flower
upright|thumb|right|Dried vanilla beans

Sinapis alba
species of plant

Pistacia lentiscus
species of plant

Zingiber
Zingiber is a genus of flowering plants in the family Zingiberaceae. It is native to China, the Indian subcontinent, New Guinea, and Southeast Asia, especially Thailand. It contains the true gingers, plants grown the world over for their culinary value. The most well known species are Z. officinale and Z. mioga, two garden gingers. The genus name comes from Latin borrowing the Tamil name for the first species.

Persicaria hydropiper
species of plant

Citrus hystrix
species of plant

Trachyspermum ammi
Ajwain or ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi) () —also known as ajowancaraway,
thymol seeds, '''bishop's weed, or carom'''—is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Both the leaves and the seed‑like fruit (often mistakenly called seeds) of the plant are consumed by humans. The name "bishop's weed" also is a common name for other plants. The "seed" (i.e., the fruit) is often confused with lovage seed.
garam masala
Indian blend of ground spices

Gentiana lutea
species of plant
Scoville scale
scale for measuring heat of peppers
Cinnamomum cassia
species of plant
Piper longum
species of plant

Piper cubeba
species of plant

Curcuma zedoaria
species of plant, zedoary

Alpinia galanga
species of plant
mastic
resin obtained from the mastic tree

celery
Celery ('''Apium graveolens Dulce Group or Apium graveolens var. dulce') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times.
cocoa powder
mixture of many substances remaining after cocoa butter is extracted from cacao beans

Rhus coriaria
species of plant

Carissa carandas
species of plant

black cardamom
species of plant

Rosa × damascena
species of plant

Pandanus amaryllifolius
species of plant

Tagetes patula
species in the daisy family (Asteraceae)
spice trade
historic international commerce