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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed vitae nisi eget nunc ultricies aliquam. Nulla facilisi. Sed euismod, nisl eget ultricies ultricies, nisl nisl aliquam nisl, quis aliquam nisl nisl eget nisl.

Testing other scripts

Arabic: نص بالعربي

Armenian: Հայերեն տեքստ

Balinese: ᬧᬲᬃᬦᬃ ᬓᬲᬓᬲ

Bengali: বাংলা টেক্সট

Burmese: မြန်မာစာ

Cyrillic: Македонски текст

Cuneiform: 𒀭𒆗𒀳𒀭𒁇𒀀𒈾𒀀

Chinese, Simplified: 简体中文

Chinese, Traditional: 繁體中文

Devanagari: हिन्दी में टेक्स्ट

Ethiopic: የአማርኛ ጽሑፍ

Greek: Ελληνικό κείμενο

Hebrew: טקסט בעברית

Japanese: 日本語のテキスト

Javanese: ꦥꦿꦚꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦸꦩꦸꦩ꧀ꦔꦼꦤꦤ

Kawi: 𑼡𑼪𑼒𑽎

Korean: 한국어 텍스트

Linear B: 𐀴𐀪𐀡𐀆𐄀𐁁𐀐𐀄𐄀𐀐𐀩𐀯𐀍𐄀𐀸𐀐 𐃠

Nastaliq: نستعلیق

Syriac: ܠܫܢܐ ܠܫܢܐ

Sundanese: ᮘᮞ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ

Tamil: தமிழ் உரை

Tibetan: བོད་སྐད་ཡིག་གཟུགས།

Thai: ข้อความภาษาไทย

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#!/usr/bin/env python
"""Test file for Python syntax highlighting in editors / IDEs.
Meant to cover a wide range of different types of statements and expressions.
Not necessarily sensical or comprehensive (assume that if one exception is
highlighted that all are, for instance).
Extraneous trailing whitespace can't be tested because of svn pre-commit hook
checks for such things.
"""
# Comment
# OPTIONAL: XXX catch your attention
# TODO(me): next big thing
# FIXME: this does not work

# Statements
from __future__ import with_statement  # Import
from sys import path as thing

print(thing)

assert True  # keyword


def foo():  # function definition
    return []


class Bar(object):  # Class definition
    def __enter__(self):
        pass

    def __exit__(self, *args):
        pass

foo()  # UNCOLOURED: function call
while False:  # 'while'
    continue
for x in foo():  # 'for'
    break
with Bar() as stuff:
    pass
if False:
    pass  # 'if'
elif False:
    pass
else:
    pass

# Constants
'single-quote', u'unicode'  # Strings of all kinds; prefixes not highlighted
"double-quote"
"""triple double-quote"""
'''triple single-quote'''
r'raw'
ur'unicode raw'
'escape\n'
'\04'  # octal
'\xFF'  # hex
'\u1111'  # unicode character
1  # Integral
1L
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2 < 3  # UNCOLOURED: comparison operators
spam = 42  # UNCOLOURED: assignment
2 + 3  # UNCOLOURED: number operators
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{}  # UNCOLOURED: dict
(1,)  # UNCOLOURED: tuple
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Cannot call other shortcodes inside this

Allspice, also known as pimento and Jamaica pepper, refers to the dried unripe fruits of a tropical evergreen tree growing in the Caribbean: the Pimenta dioica. The dried berries are dark brown, hard to the touch, and 4–6 mm in diameter (thus larger than black pepper). Their signature crown is by a small ring of the calyx {{< cite vanwyk_2014_culinary >}}.

Icons

Spices

Herbs

Incense

Perfume

Resources

Attachments

gunungan.svg (6 KB)

Mermaid

pie title Spice names by language
    "English" : 120
    "Arabic" : 90
    "Chinese" : 60

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Hugo Cite

( Wyk, 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ) ( Wyk, 2014, p. 210 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ) ( 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. )

Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

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About

“By convention sweet and by convention bitter, by convention hot, by convention cold, by convention color; but in reality atoms and void.”
― Democritus

The Name

Aromatica is the singular feminine or plural neuter nominative form of arōmāticus (a, um, adj.), meaning “composed of spice, aromatic, fragrant” ( Citation: Lewis & Short, 1879 Lewis, C. & Short, C. (1879). A Latin dictionary: Founded on Andrews’ edition of Freund’s Latin dictionary, revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten. Clarendon Press. ) , cf. Ancient Greek ἀρωματικός arōmatikós (adj.) ‘aromatic’, and the etymon ἄρωμα árōma (n.) “aromatic herb or spice” ( Citation: Liddell & Scott, 1940 Liddell, H. & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English lexicon: Revised and augmented throughout (9). Clarendon Press. ) .

The term therefore refers to any substance of fragrance, focusing on spices, but also includes incense, medicinal herbs, aromatic woods, oils and perfume, and other exotica¹ with special olfactory and gustatory qualities.

The Logo

The logo of Aromatica depicts the Borobodur ship, an 8th to 9th-century wooden double outrigger Javanese ship carved on a wall relief of the Borobodur temple (ꦧꦫꦧꦸꦝꦸꦂ). The ship here is depicted as a symbol of the maritime trade routes across the Indian Ocean region, which connected the ancient world and allowed the spread of spices and other aromatics.

The Data

In what follows, you can find the main resources that were used while building the database, and the rationale behind the selections.

A Master List of All Spices?

The first step was to create a list of spices that are relatively well-known, using information gathered by professionals from various fields. The second step was to collate the data on these materials, and morph it into a unified database to faciliate further enquiries. In the later stages of researching specific items, new and less common substances would reveal themselves, and their addition will help to reach the ultimate goal of a comprehensive list of spices.

Encyclopedias can be a great starting point to kick off research in any topic, and the Encyclopaedia Britannica does have a non-exhaustive list of herbs and spices assembled by Melissa Petruzzello ( Citation: 2021 Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392 ) . I consider three academic fields crucial for research into the spice domain: botany, history, and gastronomy. Regarding the realm of plants, I relied on the book of South African botanist Ben-Erik van Wyk ( Citation: 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ) . For a cultural and historical account, I turned towards the book of English historian and linguist Andrew Dalby ( Citation: 2000 Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press. ) . Finally, for a perspective from the culinary arts I used the book of Tony Hill ( Citation: 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. ) , a spice merchant from Seattle.

Table 1. The main resources used for the spice list, and the number of items found in each.

Source	Discipline	Number of items
Petruzzello ( Citation: 2021 Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392 )	Reference	70
Hill ( Citation: 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. )	Gastronomy	127
Dalby ( Citation: 2000 Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press. )	History	183
van Wyk ( Citation: 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. )	Botany	667

The main challenge of combining different spice datasets is that the basis of comparison is not always straightforward. Depending on scientific discipline, sources identify spices either by the binomial name of the species, common names, or even some general culinary/medicinal functions and uses. Binomial names are the safe way to go when we talk about the plants, but differentiating certain spices that might or might not be of the same flora can be challenging, not to mention trying to navigate historical data. Common names are almost always problematic, since many spices have many distinct names and name variations in different times, and they are often confused – especially so in multilingual settings. Moreover, the information complied by experts of a certain scientific field is vastly different in nature, focusing on botany, chemistry, history, economics, gastronomy, etc. The problematics of spice identification is due to the fact that different disciplines focus on different aspects of these fascinating subjects of study: the magnifying glass of the botanist, the zeal of the historian, and the needs of the chefs are all enormously diverse perspectives.

External datasets

Plant names backbone and maps

Plant distribution and habitat data is taken from Plants of the World Online (POWO), which uses the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) dataset hosted and maintained by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew ( Citation: Govaerts, 2023 Govaerts, R. (2023). World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.34885/jdh2-dr22 ) . Geographical codes, names, and polygon data comes from the level 3 dataset (“botanical countries”) of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (2nd ed.) of the International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases For Plant Sciences (TDWG).

Linguistic and geographic data on languages are from Glottolog and WALS…

Technical details

Typeface and Fonts

This website uses Noto fonts commissioned by Google and created by Monotype. Noto (no tofu) is a typeface (font family) that covers most scripts and writing systems of the world. They are hosted on Google Fonts, open source and free to use.

Maps and Plots

The interactive visualizations were made by the Plotly graphing library using Python.

Website

The website was built using the Hugo framework, a static website generator, and a modified version of the Hugo Relearn theme.

Versioning & Update History

Version0.0.6 2023-11-01 [alpha] finalizing features; testing and resolving issues; preparing for beta release

Version0.0.5 2023-10-24 [alpha] implemented Noto typeface for all scripts and fonts

Version0.0.4 2023-10-21 [alpha] added gallery and citation modules; created logo

Version0.0.3 2023-10-20 [alpha] modified theme and functionality; added placeholder content

Version0.0.2 2023-09-12 [alpha] integrated Plotly for data visualization

Version0.0.1 2023-08-01 [alpha] created website with Hugo; entered development phase

Bibliography

Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Govaerts (2023): Govaerts, R. (2023). World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.34885/jdh2-dr22
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Lewis & Short (1879): Lewis, C. & Short, C. (1879). A Latin dictionary: Founded on Andrews’ edition of Freund’s Latin dictionary, revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten. Clarendon Press.
Liddell & Scott (1940): Liddell, H. & Scott, R. (1940). A Greek-English lexicon: Revised and augmented throughout (9). Clarendon Press.
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

objects considered interesting because they are out of the ordinary, especially because they originated in a distant foreign country ↩︎

Items

Below is a list of all items and materials available on the website. You can also use the search function on the left-side panel, or browse the following categories: Spices, Herbs, Incense, Oils and Pefume.

Allspice

Anise

Asafoetida

Bdellium

Caraway

Cardamom

Cassia

Chile

Cinnamon

Clove

Coriander

Cubeb

Cumin

Fennel

Fenugreek

Ginger

Long Pepper

Mace

Nutmeg

Pepper

Saffron

Sichuan Pepper

Star Anise

Turmeric

Vanilla

Allspice

The dried unripe berries of a small Caribbean tree, also known as allspice; Jamaica pepper; pimento; myrtle pepper; newspice.

English: allspice · Hungarian: szegfűbors · Arabic: فلفل إفرنجي · Hindi: गंधद्रव्य · Chinese: 多香果 ·

Overview

item	allspice
taxon	Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.
family	Myrtaceae
regions	Mexico, Central America, Caribbean
continents	Northern America, Southern America
part	unripe fruit; leaf; wood
cultivation	Jamaica; Mexico; Honduras
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

ALLSPICE is a culinary, medicinal, perfumery, and distillery spice, cultivated for its unripe fruit, leaf, and wood. It is yielded from the plant Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr., a tree in the Myrtaceae family, growing in seasonally dry tropical biome, with a native range of S. Mexico to C. America, Caribbean.¹

It is used primarily in pickles, wines, desserts, liquors; spice for jerking meat; leaf oil for flavouring rum; wood to smoke and grill meat. Its aroma is described as pungent, mixed, spicy, with a heat index of 4.²

See more in ( Citation: POWO, 2024 POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ ; Citation: Petruzzello, 2021 Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392 ; Citation: Wyk, 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ; Citation: Dalby, 2000 Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press. ; Citation: Hill, 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. ; Citation: Anderson, 2023 Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press. )

Illustration of Pimenta dioica from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 174.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Pimenta dioica³

Native areas: Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bahamas, Cayman Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica

Introduced areas: Society Is., Caroline Is., Hawaii, Florida, El Salvador, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Colombia

Gallery

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/196799-2 ↩︎

Anise

The seed-like fruits of a Mediterranean herb, also known as anise; aniseed; anise seed; brown anise; white anise. It is related to fennel. See also star anise.

English: anise · Hungarian: ánizs · Arabic: أنيسون · Hindi: मोटी सौंफ़ · Chinese: 茴芹

Overview

item	anise
taxon	Pimpinella anisum L.
family	Apiaceae
regions	Western Asia
continents	Asia-Temperate
part	fruit; oil; leaf
cultivation	Turkey; Egypt; Spain; Russia; Italy; etc.
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

ANISE is a culinary, and distillery spice, cultivated for its fruit, oil, and leaf. It is yielded from the plant Pimpinella anisum L., a annual in the Apiaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of SE. Türkiye to C. Israel, Cyprus.¹

It is used primarily in pastries, candies, liquors. Its aroma is described as licorice-like, sweet, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Pimpinella anisum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 93.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Pimpinella anisum³

Native areas: Cyprus, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Turkey

Introduced areas: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, France, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Yugoslavia, Belarus, South European Russi, Ukraine, Morocco, Tunisia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, East Aegean Is., Iraq, Oman, Xinjiang, Bangladesh, India, Laos, Massachusetts, Michigan, Guatemala, Leeward Is., Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Brazil South, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/846658-1 ↩︎

Asafoetida

The dried resin of Ferula foetida and F. assa-foetida, also known as asafoetida; hing, devil’s dung, asant; fetida.

English: asafoetida · Hungarian: ördöggyökér · Arabic: حلتیت · Hindi: हींग · Chinese: 阿魏

Overview

item	asafoetida
taxon	Ferula foetida (Bunge) Regel
family	Apiaceae
regions	Middle Asia, Western Asia, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	gum-resin (latex)
cultivation	Iran; Afghanistan
botanical_database	POWO

ASAFOETIDA is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its gum-resin (latex). It is yielded from the plant Ferula foetida (Bunge) Regel, a perennial in the Apiaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of Iran to C. Asia and W. Pakistan.¹

It is used primarily in curries; expectorant. Its aroma is described as pungent, rotten, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Ferula foetida from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 147.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Ferula foetida³

Native areas: Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan

Introduced areas:

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/842277-1 ↩︎

Bdellium

Resin of Commiphora mukul, also known as bdellium, guggul, gum guggul.

Overview

item	bdellium
taxon	Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari
family	Burseraceae
regions	Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	resin
botanical_database	POWO

BDELLIUM is a incense, and perfume, cultivated for its resin. It is yielded from the plant Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari, a shrub in the Burseraceae family, growing in desert or dry shrubland biome, with a native range of S. Arabian Pen., S. Pakistan to W. & C. India.¹

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Commiphora wightii²

Native areas: Oman, Yemen, India, Pakistan

Introduced areas:

Bibliography

Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/

Culinary

Caraway

The seed-like fruits of an Eurasian herb, also known as caraway (seeds).

English: caraway · Hungarian: fűszerkömény · Arabic: كراويا · Chinese: 葛縷子

Overview

item	caraway
taxon	Carum carvi L.
family	Apiaceae
regions	Northern Europe, Middle Europe, Southwestern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Eastern Europe, Siberia, Russian Far East, Middle Asia, Caucasus, Western Asia, China, Mongolia, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Europe, Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	fruit
cultivation	Denmark; Lebanon; The Netherlands; Poland
botanical_database	POWO

CARAWAY is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Carum carvi L., a perennial in the Apiaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of Temp. Eurasia.¹

It is used primarily in breads, sausages, cheese; carminative. Its aroma is described as warm, sweet, anise-like, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Carum carvi from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 91.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Carum carvi³

Native areas: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, France, Spain, Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Yugoslavia, Belarus, Baltic States, Krym, Central European Rus, East European Russia, North European Russi, South European Russi, Northwest European R, Ukraine, Altay, Buryatiya, Chita, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tuva, West Siberia, Yakutskiya, Amur, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Kuril Is., Primorye, Sakhalin, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, China North-Central, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Nepal, Pakistan, West Himalaya

Introduced areas: Føroyar, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus, Greenland, Nunavut, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Labrador, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward I., Québec, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., Vermont, West Virginia, Utah, New Mexico, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, District of Columbia, South Georgia

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/839677-1 ↩︎

Cardamom

The green seed pods of an Indian plant, also known as cardamom, -mon, -mum; green cardamom; true cardamom .

English: cardamom · Hungarian: kardamom · Arabic: هال · Hindi: इलायची · Chinese: 小豆蔻

Overview

item	cardamom
taxon	Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton
family	Zingiberaceae
regions	Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	fruit & seed
cultivation	Guatemala; India; Sri Lanka; Tanzania; Papua New Guinea
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

CARDAMOM is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its fruit & seed. It is yielded from the plant Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, a rhizomatous geophyte in the Zingiberaceae family, growing in seasonally dry tropical biome, with a native range of SW. India.¹

It is used primarily in desserts, coffees, curries. Its aroma is described as pungent, eucalyptus-like, with a heat index of 2.²

Illustration of Elettaria cardamomum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 186.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Elettaria cardamomum³

Native areas: India

Introduced areas: Réunion, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Lesser Sunda Is., Costa Rica, Trinidad-Tobago

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/796556-1 ↩︎

Cassia

The inner bark of Southeast Asian trees, also known as cassia bark; Chinese cinnamon; cassia cinnamon; Chinese cassia. It is related to cinnamon.

English: cassia · Hungarian: kasszia (fahéj) · Arabic: سليخة · Hindi: दालचीनी · Chinese: 肉桂

Overview

item	cassia
taxon	Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees
family	Lauraceae
regions	China, Indo-China
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	bark; fruit
cultivation	Indonesia; China; Vietnam; Timor-Leste; etc.
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

CASSIA is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its bark, and fruit. It is yielded from the plant Cinnamomum aromaticum Nees, a tree in the Lauraceae family, growing in subtropical biome, with a native range of SE. China to Vietnam.¹

It is used primarily in flavor; diarrhea. Its aroma is described as pungent, cinnamon-like, with a heat index of 3.²

Illustration of Cinnamomum aromaticum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) I 77.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Cinnamomum aromaticum³

Native areas: China Southeast, Vietnam

Introduced areas: China South-Central, Hainan, Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaya, Sumatera, Guatemala, Honduras, Trinidad-Tobago

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/463288-1 ↩︎

Chile

The fruits of Capsicum annuum and other species, also known as chili (pepper); chilli (pepper); paprika; cayenne pepper; red pepper; green pepper; etc.

English: chile · Hungarian: paprika · Arabic: فلفل حار · Hindi: मिर्च; हरी मिर्च; लाल मिर्च · Chinese: 辣椒

Overview

item	chile
taxon	Capsicum annuum L.
family	Solanaceae
regions	Southwestern U.S.A., South-Central U.S.A., Southeastern U.S.A., Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, Northern South America, Western South America, Brazil
continents	Northern America, Southern America
part	fruit
cultivation	Ethiopia; India; Kenya; Mexico; Nigeria; Pakistan; Tanzania; etc.
botanical_database	POWO

CHILE is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Capsicum annuum L., a annual, subshrub or shrub in the Solanaceae family, growing in seasonally dry tropical biome, with a native range of S. U.S.A. to Brazil, Caribbean.¹

It is used primarily in flavors; analgesic. Its aroma is described as pungent, fiery, with a heat index of 4-10.²

Illustration of Capsicum annuum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 127.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Capsicum annuum³

Native areas: Arizona, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá, Bahamas, Cayman Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Southwest Caribbean, Turks-Caicos Is., Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is., Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil Northeast, Brazil North

Introduced areas: Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, South European Russi, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Madeira, Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Burundi, Central African Repu, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Zaïre, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Northern Provinces, Aldabra, Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Réunion, Rodrigues, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Oman, Inner Mongolia, Korea, Kazan-retto, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya, Andaman Is., Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Vietnam, Borneo, Jawa, Philippines, Sulawesi, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Is., New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Fiji, Gilbert Is., Vanuatu, Cook Is., Line Is., Marquesas, Society Is., Tuamotu, Caroline Is., Marianas, Marshall Is., Wake I., New York, Alabama, Maryland, Galápagos

Bibliography

Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/316944-2 ↩︎

Cinnamon

The inner bark of the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) from Sri Lanka, also known as cinnamon; Ceylon cinnamon. It is related to cassia.

English: cinnamon · Hungarian: fahéj · Arabic: قرفة · Hindi: दालचीनी · Chinese: 錫蘭肉桂

Overview

item	cinnamon
taxon	Cinnamomum verum J.Presl
family	Lauraceae
regions	Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	bark; leaf
cultivation	Sri Lanka; Seychelles; Madagascar; India
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

CINNAMON is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its bark, and leaf. It is yielded from the plant Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, a tree in the Lauraceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of Sri Lanka.¹

It is used primarily in flavor; anti-microbial. Its aroma is described as sweet, fragrant, pungent, with a heat index of 3.²

Illustration of Cinnamomum verum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) I 78.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Cinnamomum verum³

Native areas: Sri Lanka

Introduced areas: Gulf of Guinea Is., Tanzania, Angola, Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, China Southeast, Taiwan, Assam, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Borneo, Jawa, Philippines, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Is., Society Is., Caroline Is., Hawaii, Leeward Is., Windward Is., Brazil Southeast, Argentina Northeast

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/463752-1 ↩︎

Clove

The dried flower-buds of a tropical tree from the Moluccas, Indonesia; bud of Syzygium aromaticum, also known as clove; cloves. See also nutmeg, mace.

English: clove · Hungarian: szegfűszeg · Arabic: قرنفل · Hindi: लौंग · Chinese: 丁香

Overview

item	clove
taxon	Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry
family	Myrtaceae
regions	Malesia
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	flower buds
cultivation	Indonesia; Malaysia; Tanzania
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

CLOVE is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its flower buds. It is yielded from the plant Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry, a shrub or tree in the Myrtaceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of Maluku.¹

It is used primarily in meats, sauces; anesthetic. Its aroma is described as sweet, pungent, astringent, with a heat index of 5.²

Illustration of Syzygium aromaticum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 125.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Syzygium aromaticum³

Native areas: Maluku

Introduced areas: Gulf of Guinea Is., Tanzania, Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, India, Nicobar Is., Borneo, Caroline Is., Trinidad-Tobago

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/601421-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Coriander

The dried fruits of an annual herb, also known as cilantro, also known as coriander seeds; cilantro; Chinese parsley.

English: coriander · Hungarian: koriander · Arabic: كزبرة · Hindi: धनिया · Chinese: 芫荽

Overview

item	coriander
taxon	Coriandrum sativum L.
family	Apiaceae
regions	Caucasus, Western Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	fruit
cultivation	Argentina; India; Morocco; Romania; Spain; Yugoslavia
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

CORIANDER is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Coriandrum sativum L., a annual in the Apiaceae family, growing in subtropical biome, with a native range of E. Medit. to Pakistan.¹

It is used primarily in curries; anti-microbial. Its aroma is described as warm, aromatic, sweet, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Coriandrum sativum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 145.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Coriandrum sativum³

Native areas: North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan

Introduced areas: Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Sicilia, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia, Belarus, Baltic States, Krym, Central European Rus, East European Russia, South European Russi, Ukraine, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Azores, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Madeira, Cameroon, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Northern Provinces, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, West Siberia, Amur, Khabarovsk, Primorye, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Iraq, China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, China North-Central, China Southeast, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Andaman Is., Cambodia, Laos, Nicobar Is., Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatera, New Guinea, Norfolk Is., New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Fiji, Hawaii, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Mexico Central, Mexico Northwest, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil South, Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Argentina Northwest, Juan Fernández Is., Paraguay

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/840760-1 ↩︎

Cubeb

The dried berries of a Southeast Asian plant resembling black pepper, but with a small stalk attached, also known as cubeb pepper; tailed pepper; Java pepper. It is related to pepper.

English: cubeb · Hungarian: kubébabors · Arabic: كبابة · Hindi: कबाबचीनी · Chinese: 蓽澄茄 ·

Overview

item	cubeb
taxon	Piper cubeba L.f.
family	Piperaceae
regions	Indo-China, Malesia
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	unripe fruit
cultivation	Indonesia
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

CUBEB is a culinary, distillery, medicinal, and perfumery spice, cultivated for its unripe fruit. It is yielded from the plant Piper cubeba L.f., a nan in the Piperaceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of Indo-China to Malesia.¹

It is used primarily in gins; cooking; anti-asthma, diuretic. Its aroma is described as pungent, camphor-like, peppery, with a heat index of 3.²

Illustration of Piper cubeba from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen (1887) ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 103.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Piper cubeba³

Native areas: Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Borneo, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatera

Introduced areas:

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/681071-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Cumin

The dried seeds of a West Asian flowering plant, also known as brown cumin. It is related to caraway.

English: cumin · Hungarian: római kömény · Arabic: كمون · Hindi: जीरा · Chinese: 孜然 ·

Overview

item	cumin
taxon	Cuminum cyminum L.
family	Apiaceae
regions	Western Asia
continents	Asia-Temperate
part	fruit
cultivation	India; Iran; Lebanon
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; EOL

CUMIN is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Cuminum cyminum L., a annual in the Apiaceae family, growing in subtropical biome, with a native range of Iraq to Afghanistan.¹

It is used primarily in curries, breads; colic. Its aroma is described as peppery, aromatic, with a heat index of 4.²

Illustration of Cuminum cyminum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) III 23.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Cuminum cyminum³

Native areas: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq

Introduced areas: France, Spain, Bulgaria, Sicilia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Benin, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Transcaucasus, Lebanon-Syria, Saudi Arabia, Xinjiang, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Pakistan, Andaman Is., Laos, Nicobar Is., Massachusetts, Texas, Mexico Northeast

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/840882-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Fennel

The dried fruits of a perennial herb, also known as fennel (seeds).

English: fennel · Hungarian: édeskömény · Arabic: شمر · Hindi: सौंफ़ · Chinese: 茴香

Overview

item	fennel
taxon	Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
family	Apiaceae
regions	Southwestern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Northern Africa, Northeast Tropical Africa, Middle Asia, Caucasus, Western Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Europe, Africa, Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	fruit
cultivation	Argentina; Bulgaria; Germany; Greece; India; Lebanon
botanical_database	POWO

FENNEL is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Foeniculum vulgare Mill., a perennial in the Apiaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of Medit. to Ethiopia and W. Nepal.¹

It is used primarily in fish, breads, sausages; colic. Its aroma is described as licorice-like, warm, with a heat index of 1.²

See more in ( Citation: POWO, 2024 POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ ; Citation: Petruzzello, 2021 Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392 ; Citation: Wyk, 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ; Citation: Hill, 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. ; Citation: Anderson, 2023 Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press. )

Illustration of Foeniculum vulgare from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 88.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Foeniculum vulgare³

Native areas: Baleares, Corse, France, Portugal, Sardegna, Spain, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Sicilia, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Afghanistan, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Iran, Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Turkey, Gulf States, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nepal, Pakistan, West Himalaya

Introduced areas: Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Krym, Central European Rus, South European Russi, Ukraine, Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cape Provinces, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Provinces, St.Helena, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, Kazakhstan, China South-Central, Hainan, Inner Mongolia, China North-Central, China Southeast, Mongolia, Korea, Taiwan, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Jawa, Norfolk Is., New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Fiji, Niue, Society Is., Marianas, Hawaii, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Québec, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode I., West Virginia, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Mexico Northwest, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Puerto Rico, Windward Is., Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil Southeast, Brazil South, Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Argentina Northwest, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Juan Fernández Is., Paraguay, Uruguay, Amsterdam-St.Paul Is

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/842680-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Fenugreek

The seeds of a West Asian herb, also known as fenugreek (seeds).

English: fenugreek · Hungarian: görögszéna · Arabic: حلبة · Chinese: 胡蘆巴

Overview

item	fenugreek
taxon	Trigonella foenum-graecum L.
family	Fabaceae
regions	Western Asia, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	seed; leaf
cultivation	India
botanical_database	POWO

FENUGREEK is a culinary spice, and herb, cultivated for its seed, and leaf. It is yielded from the plant Trigonella foenum-graecum L., a annual in the Fabaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of Iraq to N. Pakistan.¹

It is used primarily in curries, breads; diabetes. Its aroma is described as like burnt sugar, bitter, with a heat index of 2.²

See more in ( Citation: POWO, 2024 POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ ; Citation: Petruzzello, 2021 Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392 ; Citation: Wyk, 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ; Citation: Hill, 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. )

Illustration of Trigonella foenum-graecum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 155.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Trigonella foenum-graecum³

Native areas: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan

Introduced areas: Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Spain, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Romania, Sicilia, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia, Baltic States, Krym, Central European Rus, East European Russia, North European Russi, South European Russi, Northwest European R, Ukraine, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Northern Provinces, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, China North-Central, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang, Assam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, West Himalaya, Myanmar, Fiji, Maryland

Bibliography

Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/523957-1 ↩︎

Ginger

The aromatic rhizomes of the ginger plant, fresh or dried, also known as ginger; common ginger. It is related to turmeric.

English: ginger · Hungarian: gyömbér · Arabic: زنجبيل · Hindi: अदरक · Chinese: 薑

Overview

item	ginger
taxon	Zingiber officinale Roscoe
family	Zingiberaceae
regions	China, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	rhizome
cultivation	India; Jamaica; Nigeria; Sierra Leone
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

GINGER is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its rhizome. It is yielded from the plant Zingiber officinale Roscoe, a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte in the Zingiberaceae family, growing in seasonally dry tropical biome, with a native range of India to SC. China.¹

It is used primarily in Asian cooking; anti-emetic. Its aroma is described as fiery, pungent, with a heat index of 7.²

Illustration of Zingiber officinale from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 172.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Zingiber officinale³

Native areas: China South-Central, Assam, East Himalaya, India

Introduced areas: Gulf of Guinea Is., Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Réunion, Rodrigues, Hainan, China Southeast, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Andaman Is., Cambodia, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Is., Queensland, Vanuatu, Caroline Is., Mexico Southwest, Costa Rica, Honduras, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Leeward Is., Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is.

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/798372-1 ↩︎

Long Pepper

The spike-like cluster of fruits of Piper longum, also known as Indian long pepper; pippali; pipalli. It is related to pepper, cubeb.

English: long pepper · Hungarian: hosszú bors · Arabic: دارفلفل · Hindi: पिप्पली · Chinese: 蓽撥

Overview

item	long pepper
taxon	Piper longum L.
family	Piperaceae
regions	China, Indian Subcontinent, Indo-China
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	fruit
cultivation	India; Indonesia; Thailand
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

LONG PEPPER is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Piper longum L., a climbing perennial or subshrub in the Piperaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of E. Himalaya to China (S. Yunnan) and Indo-China.¹

It is used primarily in South and Souteast Asian cuisine; Ayurveda and TCM. Its aroma is described as pungent, peppery, with a heat index of 4-9.²

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Piper longum³

Native areas: China South-Central, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Thailand, Vietnam

Introduced areas: Hainan, China Southeast, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaya, Philippines

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/682031-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Mace

The aril (seed-covering) of the nutmeg, also known as mace. It is related to nutmeg.

English: mace · Hungarian: szerecsendió-virág · Arabic: بسباسة · Hindi: जावित्री · Chinese: 肉豆蔻皮

Overview

item	mace
taxon	Myristica fragrans Houtt.
family	Myristicaceae
regions	Malesia
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	aril
cultivation	Grenada; Indonesia
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

MACE is a culinary spice, cultivated for its aril. It is yielded from the plant Myristica fragrans Houtt., a tree in the Myristicaceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of Maluku (Banda Is.).¹

It is used primarily in confectionary; peptic ulcers. Its aroma is described as sweet, bitter, salty, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Myristica fragrans from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 132.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Myristica fragrans³

Native areas: Maluku

Introduced areas: Gulf of Guinea Is., Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, China South-Central, China Southeast, Taiwan, Assam, Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Jawa, Philippines, Samoa

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/586076-1 ↩︎

Nutmeg

The seed of a peach-like fruit of the nutmeg tree of the Moluccas, Indonesia, also known as nutmeg. It is related to mace.

English: nutmeg · Hungarian: szerecsendió · Arabic: جوز الطيب · Hindi: जायफल · Chinese: 肉豆蔻

Overview

item	nutmeg
taxon	Myristica fragrans Houtt.
family	Myristicaceae
regions	Malesia
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	seed
cultivation	Grenada; Indonesia
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

NUTMEG is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its seed. It is yielded from the plant Myristica fragrans Houtt., a tree in the Myristicaceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of Maluku (Banda Is.).¹

It is used primarily in desserts, eggnog; diahrrhea. Its aroma is described as sweet, warm, nutty, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Myristica fragrans from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 132.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Myristica fragrans³

Native areas: Maluku

Introduced areas: Gulf of Guinea Is., Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, China South-Central, China Southeast, Taiwan, Assam, Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Jawa, Philippines, Samoa

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/586076-1 ↩︎

Pepper

The dried fruits of an Indian vine, also known as black pepper; peppercorns. It is related to long pepper, cubeb.

English: pepper · Hungarian: bors · Arabic: فلفل · Hindi: काली मिर्च · Chinese: 胡椒

Overview

item	pepper
taxon	Piper nigrum L.
family	Piperaceae
regions	Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	fruit
cultivation	Vietnam; Brazil; Indonesia; India; Sri Lanka; etc.
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

PEPPER is a culinary, and medicinal spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Piper nigrum L., a climber in the Piperaceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of SW. India.¹

It is used primarily in flavors; colds; pepper steak; poivrade sauce; Pfefferkuchen. Its aroma is described as pungent, hot, with a heat index of 3-8.²

Illustration of Piper nigrum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 144.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Piper nigrum³

Native areas: India

Introduced areas: Benin, Guinea, Cameroon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Ethiopia, Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles, China South-Central, China Southeast, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Sri Lanka, Andaman Is., Cambodia, Laos, Nicobar Is., Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Vanuatu, Cook Is., Caroline Is., Marianas, Mexico Gulf, Costa Rica, Honduras, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Leeward Is., Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is., French Guiana, Venezuela

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/682369-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Saffron

The stigmas or styles of the saffron crocus flower; stamen of Crocus sativus, also known as saffron.

English: saffron · Hungarian: sáfrány · Arabic: زعفران · Hindi: केसर · Chinese: 藏紅花

Overview

item	saffron
taxon	Crocus sativus L.
family	Iridaceae
regions	Southeastern Europe
continents	Europe
part	stigma (style)
cultivation	Iran; Spain; Kashmir; etc.
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

SAFFRON is a culinary spice, and dye, cultivated for its stigma (style). It is yielded from the plant Crocus sativus L., a tuberous geophyte in the Iridaceae family, growing in subtropical biome, with a native range of a cultigen from Greece.¹

It is used primarily in paella, bouillabaise, rice, tagine, fevers. Its aroma is described as pungent, bitter, with a heat index of 0.²

Illustration of Crocus sativus from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 164.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Crocus sativus³

Native areas: Greece

Introduced areas: Czechoslovakia, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, West Himalaya

Gallery

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/436688-1 ↩︎

Sichuan Pepper

The numbing, red or green fruits of East Asian prickly ash trees, also known as Chinese pepper; Szechwan pepper.

English: Sichuan pepper · Hungarian: szecsuáni bors · Arabic: فلفل سيتشوان · Chinese: 花椒

Overview

item	Sichuan pepper
taxon	Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.
family	Rutaceae
regions	China, Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	pericarp
cultivation	China
botanical_database	POWO

SICHUAN PEPPER is a culinary spice, cultivated for its pericarp. It is yielded from the plant Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim., a tree in the Rutaceae family, growing in temperate biome, with a native range of Himalaya to China.¹

It is used primarily in meats; colic. Its aroma is described as woodsy, peppery, with a heat index of 3.²

See more in ( Citation: POWO, 2024 POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ ; Citation: Wyk, 2014 Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ; Citation: Dalby, 2000 Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press. ; Citation: Hill, 2004 Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley. )

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Zanthoxylum bungeanum³

Native areas: China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, China North-Central, Qinghai, China Southeast, Tibet, Xinjiang, East Himalaya, Nepal

Introduced areas: Uzbekistan

Bibliography

Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/775625-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Star Anise

The star shaped pericarps of a tree from Vietnam and South China; fruit of Illicium verum, also known as star anise; Chinese star anise; Chinese anise. See also anise.

English: star anise · Hungarian: csillagánizs · Arabic: يانسون نجمي · Hindi: चक्रफूल · Chinese: 八角

Overview

item	star anise
taxon	Illicium verum Hook.f.
family	Schisandraceae
regions	China, Indo-China
continents	Asia-Temperate, Asia-Tropical
part	pericarp
cultivation	China; Laos; Vietnam; Korea; Japan; Taiwan; Hainan; Philippines (POWO)
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

STAR ANISE is a culinary spice, cultivated for its pericarp. It is yielded from the plant Illicium verum Hook.f., a tree in the Schisandraceae family, growing in subtropical biome, with a native range of China (S. & W. Guangxi) to N. Vietnam.¹

It is used primarily in meats, desserts; colic. Its aroma is described as bitter, licorice-like, with a heat index of 3.²

Illustration of Illicium verum from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 117*.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Illicium verum³

Native areas: China Southeast, Vietnam

Introduced areas: China South-Central, Cambodia

Bibliography

Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/554553-1 ↩︎

Turmeric

The bright yellow powder yielded from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, also known as turmeric.

English: turmeric · Hungarian: kurkuma · Arabic: كركم · Hindi: हल्दी · Chinese: 薑黃

Overview

item	turmeric
taxon	Curcuma longa L.
family	Zingiberaceae
regions	Indian Subcontinent
continents	Asia-Tropical
part	rhizome
cultivation	China; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Jamaica
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

TURMERIC is a culinary, medicinal, and ritualistic spice, and dye, cultivated for its rhizome. It is yielded from the plant Curcuma longa L., a rhizomatous geophyte in the Zingiberaceae family, growing in seasonally dry tropical biome, with a native range of a cultigen from SW. India.¹

It is used primarily in curries, dye; antiseptic. Its aroma is described as warm, acrid, bitter, with a heat index of 3.²

Illustration of Curcuma longa from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 178.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Curcuma longa³

Native areas: India

Introduced areas: Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Congo, Gulf of Guinea Is., Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, China South-Central, China Southeast, Tibet, Taiwan, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, Sri Lanka, Andaman Is., Cambodia, Myanmar, Nicobar Is., Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Philippines, Sumatera, New Guinea, Solomon Is., Queensland, Fiji, Gilbert Is., New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Is., Easter Is., Marquesas, Pitcairn Is., Society Is., Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Caroline Is., Hawaii, Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Leeward Is., Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is.

Bibliography

Anderson (2023): Anderson, I. (2023). The history and natural history of spices: the 5000-year search for flavour. The History Press.
Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/796451-1 ↩︎

Culinary

Vanilla

The aromatic seed pods of orchid species from America; fruit of Vanilla fragrans, also known as vanilla.

English: vanilla · Hungarian: vanília · Arabic: فانيليا · Hindi: वैनिला · Chinese: 香草

Overview

item	vanilla
taxon	Vanilla planifolia Andrews
family	Orchidaceae
regions	Mexico, Central America, Western South America, Brazil
continents	Northern America, Southern America
part	fruit
cultivation	Madagascar; Indonesia; Mexico; Papua New Guinea; China
botanical_database	POWO; GBIF; TROP; EOL

VANILLA is a culinary spice, cultivated for its fruit. It is yielded from the plant Vanilla planifolia Andrews, a climber in the Orchidaceae family, growing in wet tropical biome, with a native range of S. Mexico to Brazil.¹

It is used primarily in flavouring; baking; desserts; perfumery; aromatherapy. Its aroma is described as fragrant, sweet, delicious, with a heat index of 1.²

Illustration of Vanilla planifolia from Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen ( Citation: 1887 Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623 ) II 114.

Distribution

Native and introduced habitats of Vanilla planifolia³

Native areas: Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southwest, Mexico Southeast, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá, Colombia, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil North

Introduced areas: Gulf of Guinea Is., Zaïre, Chagos Archipelago, Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Réunion, Seychelles, Bangladesh, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, New Guinea, Niue, New Caledonia, Tonga, Cook Is., Marquesas, Society Is., Tuamotu, Caroline Is., Marianas, Florida, Cayman Is., Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Puerto Rico, Trinidad-Tobago, Windward Is., French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil West-Central, Paraguay

Bibliography

Dalby (2000): Dalby, A. (2000). Dangerous tastes: the story of spices. University of California Press.
Hill (2004): Hill, T. (2004). The contemporary encyclopedia of herbs and spices: Seasonings for the global kitchen. J. Wiley.
Köhler (1887): Köhler, H. (1887). Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte: Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica, austriaca, belgica, danica, helvetica, hungarica, rossica, suecica, Neerlandica, British pharmacopoeia, zum Codex medicamentarius, sowie zur Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America. Franz Eugen Köhler. Retrieved from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/623
Petruzzello (2021): Petruzzello, M. (2021). List of herbs and spices. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-herbs-and-spices-2024392
POWO (2024): POWO (2024). Plants of the world online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved from http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/
Wyk (2014): Wyk, B. (2014). Culinary herbs and spices of the world. University of Chicago Press, joint publication with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Plants of the World Online ↩︎
Medicinal Spices Exhibit. (2002). UCLA Biomedical Library: History & Special Collections. https://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm?spicefilename=taste.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0 ↩︎
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/262578-2 ↩︎

Resources

Primary sources

Ancient Near East

Babylonian Tablets. (c. 1700 BC). Yale Babylonian Collection. — 35 recipes on 4 stone tablets; the oldest recorded recipes in the world.

Classical Antiquity

Theophrastus. (c. 300 BC). Historia Plantarum [Enquiry into Plants]. — the oldest surviving botanical treatise in the Western tradition.
Anonymous. (1st c. CE). Periplus Maris Erythraei [Periplus of the Erythraean Sea]. — a Greeco-Roman periplus (merchant’s guide) to ancient Indian Ocean trade.
Pliny the Elder. (1st c. CE). Naturalis Historia [Natural History].
Dioscorides, Pedanius. (1st c. CE). De Materia Medica [On Medicinal Materials]. — influential Greek pharmacopeia.
Apicius. (4th c. CE). De Re Coquinaria. — famous Roman cookbook.

Chinese Sources

Travellers:

Faxian Xuanzang Yijing

Abd al-Razzaq Samarqandi Niccolo Conti

Fan Ye. (5th c.) Hou Hanshu 後漢書 [Book of the Later Han]
Ji Han. (c. 304). Nanfang Caomu Zhuang 南方草木狀 [Plants of the Southern Regions] — oldest extant botanical treatise on subtropical plants.
Li Shizhen. (1578). Bencao Gangmu 本草綱目 [Compendium of Materia Medica]. — the most comprehensive bencao (pharmacopeia) of pre-modern China.
Duan Chengsi. (9th c.) Youyang Zazu 酉陽雜俎 [Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang]. — a Tang dynasty miscellany of anecdotes, trivia, and fantastic legends.
Zhao Rukuo. (1225). Zhufanzhi 諸蕃志 [A Description of Barbarian Nations]. — a Song dynasty compendium of foreign peoples and their products; also as transcribed as Chau Ju-kua (趙汝适). English translation by Friedrich Hirth and W.W. Rockhill (1911) as Chau Ju-kua: His Work on the Chinese and Arab Trade in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, entitled Chu-fan-chi (St. Petersburg: Printing Office of the Imperial Academy of Sciences) link

Islamicate Sources

Ibn Khurdādhbih. (c. 870) Kitāb al-Masālik w’al-Mamālik كتاب اﻟﻤﺴﺎﻟﻚ واﻟﻤﻤﺎﻟﻚ [Book of Roads and Kingdoms].
Ibn Sīnā. (1025). al-Qānūn fī l-Ṭibb القانون في الطب [The Canon of Medicine].
Ibn Sayyār al-Warrāq (10th c.). Kitāb al-Ṭabīkh كتاب الطبيخ [The Book of Cookery]. — the earliest Arabic cookbook, cf.
Muḥammad bin Ḥasan al-Baghdadi. (1226). Kitāb al-Ṭabīkh كتاب الطبيخ [The Book of Cookery].

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Allspice

Overview

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Anise

Overview

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Asafoetida

Overview

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Bdellium

Overview

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Caraway

Overview

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Cardamom

Overview

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Cassia

Overview

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Chile

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Cinnamon

Overview

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Clove

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