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 flavouring or colouring. Herbs are derived from the leaves and stalks of plants, whereas spices come from the seeds, fruit, roots, and bark of plants. Some plants give rise to both herbs and spices, such as coriander and fenugreek.
This list does not contain fictional plants such as aglaophotis, or recreational drugs such as tobacco. It also excludes plants used primarily for herbal teas or medicinal purposes.
A
Aidan fruit / Aridan / prekese / uyayak / osakrisa / dawo (Tetrapleura tetraptera) Ajwain, carom seeds / thymol seeds / bishop's weed (Trachyspermum ammi) — Pakistan, South Asia, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt, Eritrea & Ethiopia Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) Alkanet / dyer's alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) — for red color Alligator pepper / hepper pepper / mbongochobi, mbongo spice (Aframomum danielli, A. citratum, or A. exscapum) — West Africa Allspice (Pimenta dioica) Angelica (Angelica spp.) Angelica / garden angelica / Norwegian angelica / wild celery (Angelica archangelica) Bai zhi / Dahurian angelica (Angelica dahurica) Anise (Pimpinella anisum) Aniseed / anise / anix Aniseed myrtle (Syzygium anisatum) — Australia Star anise / badian (Illicium verum) — China Annatto (Bixa orellana) Artemisia (Artemisia spp.) Absinthe / common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) Tarragon / estragon (Artemisia dracunculus) Asafoetida / hing (Ferula assafoetida) Avens (Geum spp.) Wood avens / Herb bennet / St Benedict's herb (Geum urbanum) Avocado leaf (Persea americana)
B
Barberry (Berberis vulgaris and other Berberis spp.) Basil (Ocimum spp.) African basil / scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum) Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) Lemon Basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) Sweet Basil / great basil (Ocimum basilicum) Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora) Bay leaf Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) Indian bay leaf / tejpat / malabathrum (Cinnamomum tamala) Indonesian bay leaf / Indonesian laurel / Salam leaf / daun salam (Syzygium polyanthum) Mexican bay leaf / laurél (Litsea glaucescens) West Indian bay leaf (Pimenta racemosa) Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) Boldo (Peumus boldus) Borage (Borago officinalis)
C
California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) Calabash nutmeg / African Calabash nutmeg / ehuru / Jamaican nutmeg / ariwo (Monodora myristica) Capers (Capparis spinosa) Caper (flowerbud) Caperberry Caraway (Carum carvi) Cardamom Black cardamom / badi ilaichi (Amomum subulatum) — India, Pakistan Chinese black cardamom / Cao guo (Lanxangia tsaoko) — China Chinese white cardamom / bai dou kou (Wurfbainia compacta) — China Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) — India Celery (Apium graveolens) Celery leaf Celery seed Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) Chicory (Cichorium intybus) Chili pepper / chilli / chile (Capsicum spp.) Cayenne pepper / Cayenne chili (Capsicum annuum) Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum cultivar) New Mexico chile (Capsicum annuum) — 'New Mexico Group': Hatch, Anaheim, Big Jim, Chimayó, and Sandia, and other pepper cultivars. Paprika (Capsicum annuum) Chironji / charoli nut (Buchanania lanzan) Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Cicely / sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) Cassia / Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) Cinnamon / Ceylon cinnamon / true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) Indonesian cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmannii) Cinnamon myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia) — Australia Vietnamese / Saigon cinnamon (Cinnamomum loureiroi) White cinnamon (Canella winterana) — Caribbean Clary / clary sage (Salvia sclarea) Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Coriander leaf / coriander greens / cilantro / Chinese parsley Coriander seed Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata) Costmary (Tanacetum balsamita) Cubeb pepper (Piper cubeba) Culangot / culantro / long coriander / recao (Eryngium foetidum) Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) Black cumin / Kala zeera / kala jira (Elwendia persica) — South Asia Cumin / white cumin — South Asia Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) Cyperus articulatus
D Dill (Anethum graveolens) Dill seed Dill weed / dill herb Dootsi (Agasyllis latifolia)
E Elderflower (Sambucus spp.) Epazote / Jesuits' tea / Mexican tea / wormseed (Dysphania ambrosioides)
F
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Fenugreek leaf / methi — India, Mediterranean, Middle East Fenugreek seed / methi seed — India, Mediterranean, Middle East Blue fenugreek / blue melilot (Trigonella caerulea) Filé powder / gumbo filé (Sassafras albidum) — Creole Fingerroot / lesser galangal / temu kuntji / krachai / k'cheay (Boesenbergia rotunda) — Java, Thailand, Cambodia Fish mint (Houttuynia cordata) giấp cá / fish mint, leaf — Vietnam zhé ěrgēn / fish mint, rhizome — China: Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces
G
Galangal (Alpinia spp.) Greater galangal (Alpinia galanga) — Indonesia Lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum) — Indonesia Sand ginger / kencur / kentjur / shan nai / sha jiang (Kaempferia galanga) — Java, Bali, China Garlic (Allium spp.) Garlic (Allium sativum) Garlic chives / Chinese chives / Chinese leek (Allium tuberosum) Ginger Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Torch ginger / bunga siantan (Etlingera elatior) — Indonesia Golpar / Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum) — Iran Grains of paradise / melegueta pepper (Aframomum melegueta) Grains of Selim / Kani pepper / uda (Xylopia aethiopica)
H
Herb bennet / St Benedict's herb / wood avens (Geum urbanum) Hoja santa / hierba santa / acuyo (Piper auritum) — Mexico Hops (Humulus lupulus) — European drinks herb: a bitter flavouring agent Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) Huacatay / Mexican marigold / mint marigold (Tagetes minuta) Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) Bible hyssop / Syrian oregano / za'atar / zahtar (Origanum syriacum) Roman hyssop / savory of Crete / pink savory / whorled savory (Satureja thymbra)
J
Jasmine flowers (Jasminum spp.) Jakhya / wild mustard (Cleome viscosa) Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum cultivar) Jimbu (Allium hypsistum and Allium przewalskianum) — Nepal Juniper berry (Juniperus communis) — European drinks herb: an aromatic flavouring agent
K
Keluak / kluwak / kepayang (Pangium edule) — South-East Asia Kinh gioi / Vietnamese balm (Elsholtzia ciliata) Kokum (Garcinia indica) — India, a souring agent Korarima / Ethiopian cardamom / false cardamom (Aframomum corrorima) — Eritrea Koseret leaves (Lippia abyssinica) — Ethiopia Kudum Puli / Malabar tamarind (Garcinia gummi-gutta) Kutjura (Solanum centrale) — Australia
L
Lavender (Lavandula spp.) Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) Lemon ironbark (Eucalyptus staigeriana) — Australia Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) — Australia Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora) Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.) Common lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) — South-East Asia Malabar grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) — South-East Asia Kaffir lime leaves / Makrud lime leaves (Citrus hystrix) — South-East Asia Leptotes bicolor — Paraguay and southern Brazil Lesser calamint / nipitella / nepitella (Clinopodium nepeta) — Italy Licorice / liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Litsea cubeba ("mountain pepper"; maqaw) Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Lovage leaves Lovage seeds Locust beans (Ceratonia siliqua)
M
Mace (Myristica fragrans) Mahleb / mahalepi / St Lucie cherry (Prunus mahaleb) Mallow Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) Musk mallow / abelmosk (Abelmoschus moschatus) Maqaw — see Litsea cubeba Marjoram / sweet marjoram / cultivated oregano (Origanum majorana) Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) Mint (Mentha spp.) — 25 species, hundreds of varieties Moldavian dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica) Mountain horopito / 'pepper-plant' (Pseudowintera colorata) — New Zealand Mustard Mustard, black / mustard seed (Rhamphospermum nigrum) Mustard, brown / mustard seed (Brassica juncea) Mustard, white / mustard seed (Sinapis alba) Mustard, yellow / mustard seed (Sinapis alba)
N
Nigella / black onion seed / black caraway / kalonji (Nigella sativa) Njangsa / djansang (Ricinodendron heudelotii) — West Africa Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
O
Oregano (Origanum spp.) Oregano / wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare) Greek / Turkish oregano (Origanum vulgare var. hirtum) Lebanese oregano / Syrian oregano / bible hyssop / za'atar / zahtar (Origanum syriacum) Sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana) Cuban oregano (Coleus amboinicus) Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) Orris root (Iris germanica and Iris pallida)
P
Pandan (Pandanus spp.) Pandan flower / fragrant screw-pine / kewra (Pandanus odorifer) Pandan leaf (Pandanus amaryllifolius) Pápalo / papaloquelite (Porophyllum ruderale) — Mexico and South America Paprika (Capsicum annuum) — q.v. Chili Paracress (Acmella oleracea) — Brazil Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) French parsley / curly parsley Italian parsley / flat-leaf parsley Japanese parsley (Cryptotaenia japonica) Stone parsley (Sison amomum) Passion berry / fringed rue / Tena adam (Ruta chalepensis) Pennyroyal / pudding grass (Mentha pulegium) Pepper (true and so-called) Ashanti pepper / uziza / Edo Pepper / Guinea cubeb (Piper guineense) Pepper, black, white, and green (Piper nigrum) Brazilian pepper / pink pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) Dorrigo pepper (Tasmannia stipitata) — Australia Kani pepper / uda / Grains of Selim (Xylopia aethiopica) Long pepper (Piper longum) Melegueta pepper / Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) Mountain pepper / Cornish pepper leaf (Tasmannia lanceolata) Peruvian pepper (Schinus molle) Szechuan pepper (Zanthoxylum spp. including Z. bungeanum, Z. schinifolium, and Z. armatum) — China Tasmanian pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata) Voatsiperifery (Piper borbonense) — Madagascar Peppermint (Mentha piperata) — q.v. Mint Peppermint gum leaf (Eucalyptus dives) Perilla (Perilla frutescens) Korean perilla seeds / Deulkkae Korean perilla leaves / Kkaennip Japanese perilla leaves / Shiso (Perilla frutescens var. crispa) Pipicha / straight-leaf pápalo (Porophyllum linaria) — Mexico Poppy seed (Papaver somniferum) Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
Q Quassia (Quassia amara) — a bitter spice in aperitifs and fortified wines along with a few beers
R
Red rice powder (Monascus purpureus) — China Rice paddy herb (Limnophila aromatica) — Vietnam Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) Rue (Ruta spp.) Common rue / herb-of-grace (Ruta graveolens)
S
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) — only for yellow color Saffron (Crocus sativus) Use of saffron Sage (Salvia officinalis) Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Savory (Satureja spp.) Summer savory (Satureja hortensis) Winter savory (Satureja montana) Sesame (Sesamum spp.) Black sesame seeds (Sesamum radiatum) White sesame seeds / benne (Sesamum indicum) Sha ren (Wurfbainia villosa) — China Silphium / silphion / laser / laserpicium / sorado (unidentified and likely extinct Ferula species) — Ancient Roman cuisine, Ancient Greek cuisine Sorrel (Rumex spp.) Common sorrel / spinach dock (Rumex acetosa) Sheep sorrel / field sorrel / red sorrel (Rumex acetosella) Garden sorrel / wrinkled sorrel (Rumex rugosus) Spearmint (Mentha spicata) — q.v. Mint Spikenard / muskroot (Nardostachys grandiflora or N. jatamansi) Star anise (Illicium verum) — q.v. Aniseed Strawberry Gum (Eucalyptus olida) — Australia Sumac (Rhus spp.) Sicilian sumac (Rhus coriaria) Sweet woodruff / sweet-scented bed-straw (Galium odoratum)
T
Tarragon / estragon (Artemisia dracunculus) — q.v. Artemisia Tasmannia lanceolata Thyme (Thymus spp.) Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) Lavender thyme (Thymus thracicus) Lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus) Wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) Tonka beans (Dipteryx odorata) Turkey berries / pendejera (Solanum torvum) Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
V
Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) Voatsiperifery (Piper borbonense) — Madagascar — q.v. Pepper
W