List of Herbs & Spices

A) Spices
1. Ginger (Jahe)
Classification: Stem (subterranean/underground stem)
Origin: Tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia
How to Store: Store the whole, unpeeled ginger root in a
resealable plastic bag, with the air pushed out, in the crisper
drawer of the refrigerator. If part of the ginger has been cut
or peeled, be sure to blot it dry with a paper towel before
storing.
Uses:
-In Japan, ginger is pickled to make beni shoga and gari or
grated and used raw on tofu or noodles.
-used to flavour tea and drinks
-In Western cuisine, ginger is traditionally used mainly in
sweet foods such as ginger ale, gingerbread, ginger snaps,
parkin, ginger biscuits, and speculaas
-In China, sliced or whole ginger root is often paired with
savory dishes such as fish, and chopped ginger root is
commonly paired with meat, when it is cooked.
-In Indian cuisine, ginger is one of the main ingredients in
curry
-used for traditional medicine
2. Paprika
Classification: Fruit (from bell peppers)
Origin: Central Mexico
How to Store: Store in cool, dark cupboard, away from direct
heat or sunlight; keep tightly closed when not in use
Uses: used to season and color rices, stews, and soups, such
as goulash, and in the preparation of sausages, mixed with
meats and other spices. In the United States, paprika is
frequently sprinkled raw on foods as a garnish. Usually used
in Hungarian, Spanish and Moroccan cuisine.
3. Allspice
Classification: Fruit, dried unripe fruit (berries) of Pimenta
dioica
Origin: native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and
Central America
How to Store: Store in cool, dark cupboard, away from direct
heat or sunlight; keep tightly closed when not in use

Uses: one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean

cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning, in moles, and
in pickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage
preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also
indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the
Levant, where it is used to flavour a variety of stews and
meat dishes. In Arab cuisine, for example, many main dishes
call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavouring. In the
United States, it is used mostly in desserts
4. Cardamom (kapulaga)
Classification: seed
Origin: native to India, Bhutan, Indonesia, Nepal
How to Store: store in a tightly sealed jar in a cool dry place
away from sunlight
Uses: It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. It is also
often used in baking in the Nordic countries, in particular in
Sweden and Finland. In the Middle East, green cardamom
powder is used as a spice for sweet dishes, as well as
traditional flavouring in coffee and tea. In Asia both types of
cardamom are widely used in both sweet and savory dishes,
particularly in the south. Both are frequent components in
spice mixes, such as Indian and Nepali masalas and Thai curry
pastes.

5. Cinnamon (Kayu manis)

Classification: Bark
Origin: Southeast Asia
How to Store: Ground cinnamon as well as sticks should be
kept in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark, and dry
place.
Uses: It is principally employed in cookery as a condiment
and flavouring material. It is used in the preparation of
chocolate, especially in Mexico. It is also used in many
dessert recipes, such as apple pie, doughnuts, and cinnamon
buns, as well as spicy candies, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and
liqueurs. In the Middle East, cinnamon is often used in
savoury dishes of chicken and lamb. In the United States,
cinnamon and sugar are often used to flavour cereals, bread-
based dishes, such as toast, and fruits, especially apples. It is
also used in Turkish cuisine for both sweet and savoury
dishes. Cinnamon can also be used in pickling and Christmas
drinks such as eggnog. Cinnamon powder has long been an
important spice in enhancing the flavour of Persian cuisine,
used in a variety of thick soups, drinks, and sweets.

6. Saffron
Classification: flower of Crocus sativus
Origin: Southwest Asia
How to Store: Place saffron in an airtight container. Wrap the
saffron in foil, if the storage container is transparent. Store
the saffron in a cool, dry and dark environment, below 68
degrees Fahrenheit and less than 40 percent humidity.
Uses: Saffron contributes a luminous yellow-orange colouring
to foods. Saffron is widely used in Persian, Indian, European,
Arab, and Turkish cuisines. Confectioneries and liquors also
often include saffron. Saffron is widely used in cooking in
many cuisines, ranging from the Milanese risotto of Italy, the
paella of Spain, the bouillabaisse of France, to the biryani
with various meat accompaniments in South Asia. One of the
most esteemed use for saffron is in the preparation of the
Golden Ham, a precious dry-cured ham made with saffron
from San Gimignano.
7. Clove (cengkeh)
Classification: flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae
Origin: native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia
How to Store: Store in cool, dark cupboard, away from direct
heat or sunlight; keep tightly closed when not in use.

Uses: Cloves are used in the cuisine of Asian, African, and the
Near and Middle East countries, lending flavor to meats,
curries, and marinades, as well as fruit such as apples, pears
or rhubarb. Cloves may be used to give aromatic and flavor
qualities to hot beverages, often combined with other
ingredients such as lemon and sugar. They are a common
element in spice blends such as pumpkin pie spice and
speculoos spices. In Mexican cuisine, cloves are best known
as clavos de olor, and often accompany cumin and cinnamon.
They are also used in Peruvian cuisine, in a wide variety of
dishes as carapulcra and arroz con leche.

8. Nutmeg (biji pala)

Classification: seed
Origin: Indonesia
How to Store: Store the nutmeg in an air-tight container in a
dark cupboard at room temperature.

Uses: In Indonesian cuisine, nutmeg is used in various dishes,

mainly in many spicy soups, such as some variant of soto,
konro, oxtail soup, sup iga (ribs soup), bakso and sup
kambing. It is also used in gravy for meat dishes, such as
semur beef stew, ribs with tomato.

In Indian cuisine, nutmeg is used in many sweet, as well as

savoury, dishes (predominantly in Mughlai cuisine). In Kerala
Malabar region, it is considered medicinal and the flesh made
into juice, pickles and chutney, while the grated nutmeg is
used in meat preparations and also sparingly added to
desserts for the flavour. It is also added in small quantities as
a medicine for infants. It may also be used in small quantities
in garam masala. Ground nutmeg is also smoked in India.

In traditional European cuisine, nutmeg and mace are used

especially in potato dishes and in processed meat products;
they are also used in soups, sauces, and baked goods. It is
also commonly used in rice pudding. In Dutch cuisine,
nutmeg is added to vegetables such as Brussels sprouts,
cauliflower, and string beans. Nutmeg is a traditional
ingredient in mulled cider, mulled wine, and eggnog. In
Scotland, mace and nutmeg are usually both ingredients in
haggis.

9. Star Anise (bunga lawang / pekak)

Classification: fruit of Illicium verum
Origin: native to northeast Vietnam and southwest China
How to Store: star anise should be stored in an airtight
container away from heat and light.
Uses: Star anise enhances the flavour of meat. It is used as a
spice in preparation of biryani and masala chai all over the
Indian subcontinent. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine, and
in Indian cuisine where it is a major component of garam
masala, and in Malay and Indonesian cuisines. It is widely
grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other
countries in Asia. Star anise is an ingredient of the traditional
five-spice powder of Chinese cooking. It is also a major
ingredient in the making of phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup.It
is also used in the French recipe of mulled wine: called vin
chaud (hot wine).

10. Sichuan pepper

Classification: seed
Origin: China
How to Store: store in a tightly sealed jar in a cool dry place
away from sunlight

Uses: Sichuan peppercorn creates a tingly numbness in the

mouth, and is most commonly used in Sichuan Cuisine. In
Indonesian Batak cuisine, andaliman (a relative of Sichuan
pepper) is ground and mixed with chilies and seasonings into
a green sambal tinombur or chili paste, to accompany grilled
pork, carp, and other regional specialties. Arsik, a Batak dish
from the Tapanuli region, uses andaliman as spice.

Sichuan pepper is one of the few spices important for Nepali,

Tibetan and Bhutanese cookery of the Himalayas, because
few spices can be grown there. One Himalayan specialty is
the momo, a dumpling stuffed with vegetables, cottage
cheese, or minced yak meat, water buffalo meat, or pork,
and flavoured with Sichuan pepper, garlic, ginger, and onion,
served with tomato and Sichuan pepper-based gravy.
Nepalese-style noodles are steamed and served dry, together
with a fiery Sichuan pepper sauce.