List of culinary herbs and spices


This is a list of culinary herbs and spices. Specifically these are food or drink additives of mostly botanical origin used in nutritionally insignificant quantities for flavoring or coloring. Herbs are derived from the leaves and stalks of plants, whereas spices come from the seeds, fruit, roots, and bark of plants. Some plants give rise to both herbs and spices, such as coriander and fenugreek.
This list does not contain fictional plants such as aglaophotis, or recreational drugs such as tobacco. It also excludes plants used primarily for herbal teas or medicinal purposes.

A

B

C

D

E

  • Elderflower
  • Epazote / Jesuits' tea / Mexican tea / wormseed

F

G

H

  • Herb bennet / St Benedict's herb / wood avens
  • Hoja santa / hierba santa / acuyo — Mexico
  • Hops — European drinks herb: a bitter flavouring agent
  • Horseradish
  • Huacatay / Mexican marigold / mint marigold
  • Hyssop
  • *Bible hyssop / Syrian oregano / za'atar / zahtar
  • *Roman hyssop / savory of Crete / pink savory / whorled savory

J

K

  • Keluak / kluwak / kepayang — South-East Asia
  • Kinh gioi / Vietnamese balm
  • Kokum — India, a souring agent
  • Korarima / Ethiopian cardamom / false cardamom — Eritrea
  • Koseret leaves — Ethiopia
  • Kudum Puli / Malabar tamarind
  • Kutjura — Australia

L

M

N

O

  • Oregano
  • *Oregano / wild marjoram
  • *Greek / Turkish oregano
  • *Lebanese oregano / Syrian oregano / bible hyssop / za'atar / zahtar
  • *Sweet marjoram
  • *Cuban oregano
  • *Mexican oregano
  • Orris root

P

Q

R

S

T

V

W

Y

  • Yerba buena, any of several different species primarily in the mint family — q.v. Mint
  • Yarrow

Z

Culinary herbs and spices by country, region and culture