Spices you have never used

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
Staff member
Joined
19 Apr 2015
Local time
3:01 PM
Messages
48,726
Location
Maidstone, Kent, UK
Are there gaps in your use of spices? Maybe there are some you don't really know how to use? I think I've used the majority of well known spices over the years but there are no doubt some I have never even heard of.

This thread is about spices - not herbs and not spice mixes. If anyone can find an extensive alphabetical internet list of culinary spices minus descriptions that doesn't include herbs or spice mixes please post the link. I can't find one...
 
Last edited:
This is the most comprehensive one I've ever found:
Gernot Katzer Spice Pages
In the past few years, he's strayed on to herbs as well, but that's not important; in fact, it's a useful addition as far as I'm concerned. I think the bloke's a biologist, or botanist, so his approach is scientific, which is important.
 
karadekoolaid said:
This is the most comprehensive one I've ever found:
Gernot Katzer Spice Pages
In the past few years, he's strayed on to herbs as well, but that's not important; in fact, it's a useful addition as far as I'm concerned. I think the bloke's a biologist, or botanist, so his approach is scientific, which is important.
Click to expand...

its interesting but the trouble is it does contain herbs. We need a list of spices only really. There are plenty of lists containing herbs as well.
 
I think those who cook Indian food will probably have used more spices than other people. It's interesting that so many delicious spices are rarely used outside that cuisine. Asafoetida for example or aijwan seeds (lovage seeds).
 
Morning Glory said:
its interesting but the trouble is it does contain herbs. We need a list of spices only really. There are plenty of lists containing herbs as well.
Click to expand...
you are simply too picky.
any cook that cannot separate the two,,, should step away from the kitchen.

here's my list. it's not definitions. most spice 'definitions' are spice/herb to "dish"
don't know about you, but I rarely rarely look in my space rack to see what I dish I should cook. normally I'm cooking something and debating 'gee, what spices/flavors would work with this?'
so I programmatically 'reversed' the associations. "if you're cooking this dish, consider these spices"

(my notes say I posted this here in 2021 . . . is a refresher needed? or perhaps a different section?)

[Mod.Edit: List moved to its own thread (MG)] List pairing spices with dishes
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CookieMonster said:
you are simply too picky.
any cook that cannot separate the two,,, should step away from the kitchen.

here's my list. it's not definitions. most spice 'definitions' are spice/herb to "dish"
don't know about you, but I rarely rarely look in my space rack to see what I dish I should cook. normally I'm cooking something and debating 'gee, what spices/flavors would work with this?'
so I programmatically 'reversed' the associations. "if you're cooking this dish, consider these spices"

(my notes say I posted this here in 2021 . . . is a refresher needed? or perhaps a different section?)
Click to expand...

I'm not particularly being picky. I simply wanted a link to a list of spices for easy reference for this thread. Its rather odd that I can't find one on the internet which has everything usually! I agree that a cook should be able to tell the difference between a spice and herb.

You did indeed post your list as part of another thread back in 2021. See here: Which spices don't you have?

Its an interesting approach and I will move it to its own thread with a link back here.

Edit: Done.
 
Last edited:
Ajwain is also known as bishop's weed. I use it in pakoras, some vegetable dishes, and also in my cucumber and onion chutney! I'd say the flavour is thyme + celery, mostly. This morning I had two slices of white cheese on toast,with cucumber & onion chutney on top.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Ajwain is also known as bishop's weed. I use it in pakoras, some vegetable dishes, and also in my cucumber and onion chutney! I'd say the flavour is thyme + celery, mostly. This morning I had two slices of white cheese on toast,with cucumber & onion chutney on top.
Click to expand...

Ajwain is a new one on me. I need to find it now for my pakoras.
Could you post your recipe or pm me if you want?.
I'm very interested!!!

Russ
 
Asafoetida (hing) is used primarily in Indian cooking - and specifically, Hindu cookery, as a sub for onions and garlic. It is usually found as a powder (because rice flour and other things have been added), but if you can find pure hing (which I did, once) it comes as a block of resin.
Nigella (kalonji) is another spice that many may not have heard of , or used. It's got to be one of my favourites: sweetish, touches of anise, pepper, onion.
Then there's always the humble fenugreek seed. Earthy (it always reminds me of wet clay), slightly sweet and definitely an important part of curry powder (which is not a spice, but a spice mix, widely used in many countries EXCEPT India) :cool:
Coriander seeds are also under-used. I always put them in my pickles, to impart a citrusy, slightly sweet flavour.
Then there are black cardamom seeds, "Royal" cumin ( shahi jeera), and black mustard seeds.
I could go on all night about spices... but I won't:D
 
Morning Glory said:
its interesting but the trouble is it does contain herbs. We need a list of spices only really.
Click to expand...
I'll politely insist as a spice loony and state that I've never found a website as good as this on spices , even though he has strayed from the sacred path of spices and included things like horseradish :eek: . I suppose, in his defence, that he should be recommended for not including "curry powder" on the site!
Grains of Paradise? That's guinea pepper - we can find them in Venezuela. Peppery and delightful.
 
karadekoolaid said:
Asafoetida (hing) is used primarily in Indian cooking - and specifically, Hindu cookery, as a sub for onions and garlic. It is usually found as a powder (because rice flour and other things have been added), but if you can find pure hing (which I did, once) it comes as a block of resin.
Nigella (kalonji) is another spice that many may not have heard of , or used. It's got to be one of my favourites: sweetish, touches of anise, pepper, onion.
Then there's always the humble fenugreek seed. Earthy (it always reminds me of wet clay), slightly sweet and definitely an important part of curry powder (which is not a spice, but a spice mix, widely used in many countries EXCEPT India) :cool:
Coriander seeds are also under-used. I always put them in my pickles, to impart a citrusy, slightly sweet flavour.
Then there are black cardamom seeds, "Royal" cumin ( shahi jeera), and black mustard seeds.
I could go on all night about spices... but I won't:D
Click to expand...

I. Have l those !

Russ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom