This document provides descriptions of various herbs, spices, and seasonings. It describes their appearance, where they come from, how they are used, and their flavors. Some key herbs and spices mentioned include thyme, with lemon and caraway varieties; dill, with anise flavor; chives, with a delicate onion flavor; and horseradish, often used in sauces or with beef. Common spices include cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cumin, cardamom, and saffron, the most expensive spice due to its difficult harvesting process.

2. Thyme
Leaves are grey-green, very small
and long oval. Two types are
Lemon Thyme and Caraway
garden) Thyme. The first, as the
name suggests, has a distinct
lemony aroma and the later
a distinct smoky aroma, strong
and warmly aromatic.
Herbs

3. Green, linear thread like
leaves often kept on the stem
when used. They are often
used as garnish or in dishes
(married with salmon) its
fragrance is distinctive, floral
and aromatic.
Dill

4. Chives
Probably among the
best known of all
herbs, the leaves are
tall, hollow, grey-
green and rush like.
Used whole or
chopped it adds a
delicate onion
flavour.

5. Horseradish
The root of this plant is
used raw or dried, often
found in horseradish
sauce (a condiment) and
usually married with
meat, in particular beef. It
is hot tasting and often
used as an alternative to
mustard.

6. Coriander
The leaves are bright
green and feathery, the
seeds and leaves are
often used in cooking. As
the seeds mature they
smell pleasantly of
oranges and when
added to food Coriander
gives a spicy, curry
flavour.

7. Mustard
A small, Cress-like plant,
the most commonly used
part is the seed from the
plants, there are three
types – black, brown and
white. Mustard seeds have
a hot savoury flavour with
the black seeds being the
most pungent, brown
seeds less so and the white
seed is the least strong.

8. Tarragon
There are two types of
Tarragon, French and
Russian, the latter
having a stronger, less
pleasant flavour. The
leaves are dark green on
top and lighter
underneath and are
often used in meat
dishes. Its aroma is
sweet and strong and
very distinctive.

9. Oregano
Dark green leaves,
slightly peppery in flavour
pungent and good for
relieving diarrhea, often
used in Italian dishes and
is the same as Marjoram
but Marjoram comes
from Britain instead of
Italy.

10. Creamy, white root,
thread like and
feathery leaves. Fresh
or dried leaves are
used with fish dishes
normally, seeds can
also be used and we
eat the root and stems
as a vegetable.
All parts of the plant
are strongly aromatic
with a taste of
aniseed.
Fennel

11. Rosemary
Leaves are dark
green and white
underneath and
are used fresh or
dried with all
kinds of meats. It
has a strong
pungent aroma,
which can banish
catarrh.

12. Basil
Fresh green leaves from
this plant can be used
fresh or dried and are
normally married with
egg, tomatoes, chicken
and sausages. Pungently
aromatic with hints of
cloves.

13. Spices
Cardamom
White, green or brown
pods containing
brown-black sticky
seeds which can be
used whole or the
seeds are often
ground. Fragrant,
exotic spice often used
with sweet rice,
cakes/pastries or with
fruit and nut dishes

14. Cayenne
The red powder
commercially sold as
cayenne pepper is the
ground dried fruits of
the many pungent
small fruited varieties
of chili. It is often used
in Cajun or spicy Creole
dishes or as a garnish to
add a little colour.
Piquant, spicy, like chili
powder.

15. Chili
Long berry-like fruits with a shiny
outer skin and flesh enclosing
ridges of small white seeds. They
vary in size, colour and taste.
They can be found fresh, dried,
flaked or ground and some can
even cause unpleasant stinging
on the skin. Range from mild to
blisteringly hot in taste and the
seeds can be removed to reduce
the pungency of the chili. Mildest
chili: Sweet Italian Bell. Hottest
chili: Haberno or Scotch Bonnet

16. Cinnamon
Dried, pale brown inner
bark of the cultivated
Laurel like tree. Often
found as dried thin
cylindrical quills of bark
or in ground form.
Aromatic, sweet and
spicy, used in cakes,
fruit dishes or in
Chinese five spice
powder.

17. Small dried seeds
of a Parsley type
plant. The seeds
are available
whole or ground.
Aromatically spicy
rather than hot, it
has an interesting
flavour which is
included in most
curry mixes
Cumin

18. Ginger
Bulbous knobbed root, dark
brown in colour from the
ginger plant. It can be found
ground, dried, crystallised,
crushed or as the root itself.
Ginger has a hot, spicy flavour
which has a fragrant and
sometimes musty aroma. It is
used widely in sweet dishes, in
Indian and Oriental cooking it
is often found with fish or a
multitude of other dishes.
Rich, full, aromatic and
powerful. Madagascar and
Mexico produce best quality.

19. Lemongrass
Similar in appearance to a
large spring onion, it has
green leaves, white fleshy
stalks and a bulb. It is
often bought fresh or
dried. Sweet-scented
lemon flavour with a
distinct hint of ginger. It
can be substituted with
lemon peel in a dish but it
would not be as delicate a
flavour

20. Paprika
Finely-ground powder,
varying in colour from
bright red to russet
brown made from dried
mild Pimento peppers.
Flavours range from
mild and sweet (most
common) to hot and
pungent, it is often used
to colour and to add a
sweet capsicum flavour

21. Tamarind (Indian Date)
Large bean shaped pods
that turn brown when ripe
and resemble dates. Often
found in dried pieces,
powder or in paste.
Tamarind juice or paste
acts as a fruity souring
agent in the same way as
lemon or vinegar but has
a refreshing cooling
property

22. Turmeric
Turmeric comes from
the underground
stem of a small plant.
It has to be boiled,
dried and then
ground to a fine
yellow powder before
use.

23. saffron
Saffron comes from the orange-red stigmas of a
violet-coloured Crocus (a Lily-like plant), which
blooms for only a brief two-week period in
Autumn, each flower has only three stigmas
which have to be picked by hand at dawn before
the sun becomes hot. The stigmas are then dried.
This process is what makes saffron the most
expensive spice in the world – saffron is worth
more than its weight in gold. It can be found in
stigma strands or powder. Saffron has a strong
perfume and a bitter, honey like taste which
lends a delicate but distinctive flavour to dishes.
Used for two reasons, to spice dishes with a
warm aromatic honey flavour and to colour
dishes the bright golden yellow colour often seen
in Indian Cuisine

24. Vanilla Pod
Native to Mexico but widely
grown. Highly fragrant and
aromatic.