For those of you who like to cook, you know all too well how fun it is to try out new recipes. And it’s even more fun to add in herbs and spices to add that extra flavoring flare that brings your meals to life.
Plus, did you know some spices and herbs actually provide health benefits? Medical professionals say cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels, sage helps improve memory and brain function, peppermint eases IBS pain and reduces nausea, and turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects, for instance.
But where do all of these amazing herbs and spices come from before they hit your local grocery store shelves? Let’s take a look at what your favorite spices and herbs look like before they’re harvested.
Cinnamon is actually a spice taken from the inner bark of trees from the genus
Cinnamomum! You can use cinnamon in just about any recipe if you like the taste.
Nutmeg is a commonly used spice that comes from various tree species of the genus
Myristica. Nutmeg tastes nutty and slightly sweet.
Paprika comes from mild peppers and is dried and ground. This spice tastes mildly sweet, resembling the taste of red bell peppers.
Turmeric is known as “the golden spice” because of its coloring and has a long history of medicinal use. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family.
This powder includes different spices, usually chile powder, paprika, cumin, and Mexican oregano.
Ginger is the common name for the perennial plant
Zingiber officinale. Ginger has a pungent tastes that people often describe as spicy or peppery.
Cloves are unopened flower buds from the
Syzygium aromaticum tree. The taste of cloves is strong, sweet, bitter, and pungent.
Basil is a tender plant that tastes similar to anise, presenting a pungent, strong, and sometimes sweet smell.
Curry powder is made from various sources, including chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, pepper, and ginger. It’s made in varying degrees of spiciness, from mild to hot.
This spice comes from a species of plant type called
Capsicum annuum. Cayenne pepper is hot and spicy and is rated as 10 times hotter than a jalapeño.
Mace tastes like a combo of pepper and cinnamon — basically, a bitterer version of nutmeg. It comes from “the lacy coating (called the aril) that is found on a nutmeg seed,” according to
The Spruce Eats.
Some deem saffron as the world’s most legendary spice. It comes from a flower called
Crocus sativus and tastes slightly sweet and “luxurious.”
Rosemary, known as
Salvia rosmarinus, tastes woodsy and smells like pine and lemon. It’s slightly bitter with some mint and lemon overtones.
Thyme is related to oregano and can be used in the kitchen, for decoration, or for medicinal purposes. Its flavor is gentle with earthy, minty, lemony tones.
Bay leaves also have a sharp, bitter taste, but feature an herbal, floral scent. They come from the bay laurel tree, which is an evergreen.
Sage pairs well with just about any meat, especially chicken or other poultry. It’s an herb that heralds from the mint family. Sage has a sweet and savory flavor.
Oregano comes from a flowering plant that’s in the mint family. When used as a spice, it tastes slightly bitter and pungent and smells earthy/minty.
Cardamom is a spice that comes from the seeds of different plants. When used as a spice, it tastes spicy, citrusy, minty, and herbal.
Coriander’s flavor is light and sweet and tastes like citrus and curry. It comes from the
Coriandrum sativum plant.
Common Anise comes from the flowering plant
Pimpinella anisum. Its flavor is mildly spicy, sweet, and reminiscent of licorice.
Garlic is known for its pungent smell and spicy flavor. It is a species in the onion genus
Allium.
This seasoning comes from either celery or lovage, a relative of celery. Celery seeds are spicy with a touch of citrus, parsley, and nutmeg tastes.
Black pepper is composed of peppercorns, which are the fruits of a flowering vine in the
Piperaceae family. Its taste is sharp and pungent.
Cumin is actually a member of the parsley family. It’s made from the dried seed of the
Cuminum cyminum plant. The spice has an earthy, spicy, nutty taste, and it’s often used in chili powder.
Sesame is used most often on top of salads and in sauces. It’s got a crunchy, nutty taste and comes from the
Sesamum indicum plant.
Real wasabi comes from the
Wasabia japonica root. However, most wasabi that is eaten today is a mixture of mustard flour, horseradish, and cornstarch. Its taste is similar to horseradish.
Mustard is made from the seeds of the mustard plant. Its taste can range from spicy to sweet, depending on how it’s made.
Capers taste salty, olivey, and lemony. They come the immature dark green flower buds of a caper bush.
Did you know that vanilla comes from orchids of the genus
Vanilla? Its flavor tastes woody and smoky, and it features a very sweet aroma.
Star of Anise comes from the star-shaped fruit of a tree that is a member of the magnolia family. Its licorice flavor is similar to Common Anise but it even stronger.
Parsley, also known as garden parsley (or
Petroselinum crispum), is a species of flowering plant. It tastes mildly bitter.
Chives are a member of the onion family and, thus, replace an oniony taste. They make for a great garnish on many meals.
Dill, known as
Anethum graveolens, is a herb in the celery family. It tastes sweet, a bit lemony, and slightly bitter.
Mint tastes sweet and cool, and peppermint features an even stronger menthol flavor. It comes from a genus of plant called
Mentha.
Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy, which is actually where morphine, as well as other opiates, come from. The seeds taste nutty, and if ground up they taste fruity. Poppy seeds are commonly used as a spice and decoration on baked goods.
Tarragon is often used for “fine cooking,” including in béarnaise sauce and in combination with fish, chicken, or veggies. It comes from dried leaves of the French Tarragon plant.
Fennel features a licorice flavor and smell. It comes from a flowering plant (
Foeniculum vulgare).
Grains of paradise is a relative of ginger and cardamom. It features a peppery floral flavor.
This is also called file powder and is produced from dried, ground sassafras tree leaves. Its flavor is reminiscent of root beer.
Caraway seeds smell wonderful and have a very subtle licorice taste. It comes from the
Carum carvi plant.
Marjoram is a spice that’s a cousin of the oregano family. It comes from a perennial herb and features citrus and sweet pine flavors.
Cubeb is also known as tailed pepper. It comes from a plant that is cultivated for both its essential oil and fruit. It tastes slightly bitter and pungent.
Chicory comes from a perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae. It has a bit of a nutty, woody taste.
The horseradish plant is related to the mustard, wasabi, cabbage, radish, and broccoli family. It tastes spicy and has a potent flavor.
Chervil tastes like a cross between parsley and tarragon with hints of anise and licorice flavoring. It actually comes from the carrot family.
Szechuan peppers are made from a prickly ash shrub species. The flavor is lemony and even creates a slight numbness inside the mouth.
Fenugreek is a herb that features a nutty, slightly sweet taste. Some say it tastes like a cross between maple and celery.
When asafetida is cooked, it is garlicky and mellow. It is derived from a giant fennel species.
The savory spice tastes like pepper and is similar to thyme. It comes from a plant known as
Satureja hortensis.
French for “garnished bouquet,” this include herbs bundled together, including parsley stems, dry bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. They are primarily used in casseroles, soup, stew, and stock.
Lovage is known as sea parsley. It comes from a plant, and tastes like celery. Often it’s used to flavor soup, stews, and poultry or pork dishes.
Catnip comes from a plant and tastes woodsy, and some say it’s almost grassy in taste. Many people combine it with lemon and put it in tea.
Also known as “starflower,” borage comes from a herb. It tastes like cucumber and is used in salads or as a garnish.
As its name indicates, lemongrass features a citrusy, lemony flavor. It comes from a tropical island plant in the grass family.
Sorrel is also called garden sorrel or common sorrel. It comes from a perennial herb and features a tart, sour green apple taste.
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Using various herbs and spices while cooking or baking can really bring a dish or dessert to life. And while we don’t usually think about where our spices come from, most come from some of the most magnificent plants, shrubs, and trees.
So, the next time you’re cooking with nutmeg, paprika, oregano, or cinnamon, now you’ll know exactly where these spices come from!
For those of you who like to cook, you know all too well how fun it is to try out new recipes. And it’s even more fun to add in herbs and spices to add that extra flavoring flare that brings your meals to life.
Plus, did you know some spices and herbs actually provide health benefits? Medical professionals say cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels, sage helps improve memory and brain function, peppermint eases IBS pain and reduces nausea, and turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects, for instance.
But where do all of these amazing herbs and spices come from before they hit your local grocery store shelves? Let’s take a look at what your favorite spices and herbs look like before they’re harvested.
