List of common Indian Spice and their uses, Spices such as Black Pepper, Capsicum, Cardamom, Celery, Cinnamon, Clove, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Fennel, Fenugreek, Nutmeg, Tejpat, Turmeric and Saffron.

1. SPICES
DR. EMASUSHAN MINJ
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE, MAHUADANR,
LATEHAR
NILAMBER PITAMBER UNIVERSITY

2. Fifteen species found in India
1. Black Pepper
2. Capsicum
3. Cardamom
4. Celery
5. Cinnamon
6. Clove
7. Coriander
8. Cumin
9. Ginger
10.Fennel
11.Fenugreek
12.Nutmeg
13.Tejpat
14.Turmeric.
15.Saffron

3. Black Pepper
Botanical Name: Piper nigrum L.
Family: Piperaceae
Vernacular name: Kalimirch, Malagu, Kalimari and
Golmorich
Part used: Fruits
 Fully mature unripe dried fruits are Black pepper
while ripe berries are stemmed then dried to get
white pepper (sheetal mirchi).
 Green pepper is tender green spike of unripe fruits.
Used as pickles.
Uses:
 Medicinally in Malaria, hemorrhoids/dyspepsia etc.
 Essential preservative of meat or perishable food.
 Flavoring Agent.
 Oil of pepper is used in flavouring Sausages.
 Black pepper is used in culinary seasoning.
 Essential ingredient of many food stuffs.
 In some parts of the world it is used as moth killer and
insect repellant.

4. Capsicum
Botanical name: Capsicum annum Linn.
Capsicum frutescens L.
Family: Solanaceae
Common name: Lai mirchi, Simla
mirch, Peprika
Plant part used: Dried or green fruits
Uses:
Dry or green chilies are extensively
used as spices and seasoning.
Peprika is rich in vitamin ‘C’. and
apetizer.

5. Cardamom
Botanical name: Aframomum melagueta
(Roscoe.) K. Sohum.
Uses:
Seeds used for flavouring sauce,
beer, wine perfumery etc.
o Bengal Cardemom:(Amomum
aromaticum)
Common Name: Morang elaichi,
 Use: Seeds used as spice.
o Nepal Cardemom: (Amomum
subulatum Rxle.)
Common Name: Large cardamom or
Bari elaichi
 Use: Seeds as spice; good taste, as
medicine, Mouth freshner, Sweets
also.

6. True Cardemom: (Elettaria cardamom Maton.)
Common Name: Chhoti elaichi
Uses:
 Dried fruits as spice, masticatory.
 Seeds pleasant aroma, slightly pungent smell.
 Used in perfumery, flavouring bitters and Ciqures.
 It is stimulant also.
All Cardamoms belong to family Zingiberaceae. now a days
Elatteria is kept under family Elatteriaceae instead of
Zingiberaceae.

7. Celery
Botanical Name: Apium graveolens L.
Family: Apiaceae
Common Name: Ajmud, Ajamoda,
Mayura, Hayagandha,
Hastikavari.
Part used: Leaves and seed
Uses:
 Seeds used as Condiment,
Carminative, diuretic.
 Celery seed oil used for perfumes
and soaps.
 Oil is used as tonic and nerve
stimulant.
 Seeds and leaves are used is soups,
pickles, salad, pastries etc.

8. Cinnamon
Botanical name: Cinnamomum zeylenicum Blume
Family: Lauraceae
Common Name: Dalchini, Dalchina-chekka,
Lavanga patti
Part used: Dried inner bark of stem
obtained by removing cork and cortical
parenchyma.
Uses:
 Bark is extensively used as spice or
condiment in the form of small pieces or in
Garam masala.
 Cinnamon oil (from bark) in used in
confectionary, pharmaceutical, soap etc.
 Cinnamon is used in making chocolate,
candy, gum, perfume, incense etc. in
Spain.
 Bark is carminative, astringent and
stimulant.
 Bark oil is medicinal.

9. Clove
Botanical name: Eugenia caryophyllus (Spregal) Bullock at Harrison.
Family: Myrtaceae
Common Name: Laung, Luvanga, Lavanga
Plant part used: Dry Buds
Uses:
 Very aromatic spice with a fine flavour
imparting warming properties.
 Culinary spice in both sweet and Savoury
dishes.
 It is used in Pickles, gravy, baked food,
cake, pudding, syrups etc.
 Oil of clove is used in confectionary,
Pickels, Sausages etc.

10. Coriander
Botanical name: Coriandrum sativum Linn.
Family: Apiaceae
Common Name: Dhaniya
Plant part used: Dried ripened seeds or
fruits. Fresh leaves are also used in Indian
curries.
Uses:
 Dried fruits are used in curry is in powder
form.
 Dhaniya powder is also used in Pickels,
Sausages, curries, chutneys.
 It is used to flavour spirits particularly green.
 It is used in flavoring Bakery products,
desserts, candy etc.
 It’s used as medicine as well.
 Decoction of dried fruit is stimulative,
carminative, diuretic, antispasmodic,
aromatic refrigerant and aphrodisiac.

11. Cumin
Botanical Name: Cuminum Cyminum L.
Family: Apiaceae
Common Name: Jira
Part used: Dried fruit & Seed
Uses:
 A very important ingredient of curry and
curry powder.
 It is carminative, stimulant and is
used in medicines as well.
 It is used for seasoning soups and
stews.

12. Ginger
Bot. Name: Zingiber officinale Linn.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Common Name: Adrak, Ada, Adu, Allam
Part used: Rhizome
Uses:
 Raw ginger has a pleasant smell and is used in
food items tea etc. Dry ginger (Saunth) is
used as a spice in garam masala, curry
powder etc.
 Rhizome is carminative, stimulant and
aromatic used as medicine also in cold,
cough etc.
 Ginger oil is a flavored, spice in Bakery
and Confectionary.

13. Fennel
Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
Family: Apiaceae
Vernacular name: Saunf
Part uses: Dried ripe fruit & Seed
Uses:
 Fruits used for flavoring dishes.
 Fruits are also used as masticatory after
having lunch or dinner or in paan.
 Fruits yield essential oil used in
flavoring dishes. The main
constituent of oil is anethole.
 Fruits are carminative, stimulant
and aromatic with medicinal value.

14. Fenugreek
Botanical name: Trigonella foenum-graceum L.
Family: Fabaceae
Common Name: Methi
Plant part used: Seed and leaves
Seeds contain steroidal substance diosgenin
Uses:
 It is used as spice and for flavouring food.
 In Egypt, Ethiopiea, Arab, etc. Fenugreek is an
ingredient of Bread, hulba, Abish etc.

15. Nutmeg
Botanical name: Myristica fragrans Houtt.
Family: Myristicaceae
Common Name: Jaiphal, Jajikai,
Jatiphala
Part used: Dry seeds are called Nutmeg and
dry Aril as Mace (aril surrounds the seed).
Uses:
 Nutmeg are condiment.
 It has medicinal properties also. It cures
dysentery, vomiting, Malaria, nausea
etc.
 It has carminative, aphrodisiac and
astringent properties.
 It is also used in perfumery.

16. Tejpat
Botanical name:
1. Cinnamomum tamala Nees and eberum.
2. Cinnamomum obtusifolium Nees.
Family:Lauraceae
Common Name: Tejpat, Talisapatti,
Tejpatra
Part used: Leaves
Uses:
 Leaves used as spice mainly.
 As a clarifier in dyeing with myaobalans
 In Kashmir, as a substitute of Betel leaves
or Paan.

17. Turmeric
Botanical Name: Curcuma longa Linn.
Family: Zingiberaceae
Common Name: Haldi, Haladi, Haridra,
Harita
Plant part used: Rhizome
Uses:
 Food, flavourent and adjunct.
 Also used as stimulant, Carminative,
expectorant etc.
 Used as Cosmetic for beautifying skin
problems.

18. Saffron
Botanical name: Crocus sativas Linn.
Family: Iridaceae
Common Name: Kesar, Zafran, Keshar
Part used: Dried Stigma
Uses:
Apart from flavouring and colouring
properties it has extraordinary medicinal
value also.
Mostly used in exotic dishes like sweets,
Biryani etc.
It is effective medicine with ghee for
diabetes.

19. Thank you