Spice
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Description
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Descriptor
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Application
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Dried dark brown berries of an evergreen tree.
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Flavor is similar to clove, but smoother and mellower. Undertones of cinnamon and nutmeg. Also called pimento.
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Marinades, stocks, stews, pickled foods, curries, fruit/spice cakes, preserves, and relishes.
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| ANISE SEED |
Small gray-brown seeds of a plant in the parsley family.
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Licorice-like flavor. Its oil is used heavily in licorice flavoring, but true licorice is derived from the roots of a different plant.
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Liqueurs, candy, breads, fruit desserts, sauces, cakes, cookies, and meat dishes.
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| ANISE-STAR |
Large brown star-shaped fruit of an evergreen tree. Each point contains a seed.
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Anise-like flavor. An old-time pickling favorite. Available since the lifting of the China trade embargo.
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Asian cuisines, tea flavoring, liqueurs, and baked goods. Found in ground-form in Chinese Five Spice.
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Bright green leaves of an herb in the mint family.
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Especially well-suited for tomato-flavored dishes. Currently enjoying the fastest popularity growth of any herb!
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Chartreuse liqueur, salads, vegetable soups, spaghetti sauces, pizza and other Italian cuisine.
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Large olive-green leaves of the sweet bay or laurel tree.
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Pungent scent. Commonly used in original, whole-leaf form. Also known as laurel.
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A staple of continental cooking and bouquet garni. Used in marinades, soups, stews, pickles, sauces, meat, and fish.
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Hard brown scimitar-shaped seeds of an herb in the parsley family.
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Nutty, delicate, anise-like flavor used in German, Austrian, and Hungarian cuisine.
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Breads, sauerkraut, cheese, noodles, roast pork, goulash, roast apples, and Kummel liqueur.
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Dark seeds grown in pods of a plant in the ginger family.
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Sweet, exotic flavor used in Indian, Arabian, and Scandinavian dishes.
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Coffee, wine, liqueurs, pickles, punches, puddings, custards, pies, pastries, and cookies.
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Fruit of the wild celery plant (not the same as the vegetable).
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Strong flavor – should be used sparingly.
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Salad dressings, potato salad, pickles, vegetables, fish, roasts, soups, croquettes, and canapé mixtures.
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Lacy fern-like leaves of a plant in the parsley family.
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Much like parsley, but sweeter and more aromatic. Anise-like fragrance with a slight pepper note. Loses flavor in long cooking – add at the last minute!
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Fresh salads, sauces, vinegar, omelets, and cottage/cream cheeses.
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Large mildly pungent pods of California-type peppers.
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The term chili pepper refers to mild pods, and chilies is the term given to the hot little pods.
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Numerous recipes where heat is desirable.
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Tubular green leaves of a member of the onion family.
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Mild onion flavor.
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Sour cream, soups, salads, vegetable dishes, eggs, cottage cheese, dips, and garnishes.
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Green leaves of the coriander plant, a member of the parsley family.
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Strong exotic flavor. Parsley-like with an almost citric taste.
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Mexican foods, salsa, picante, Indian chutney, and curry.
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Bark of various evergreen trees in the cinnamomum family.
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Reddish-brown color. Strong flavor. Also known as cassia.
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Most significant baking spice. Goes well with chocolate. Adds a subtler flavor to meat dishes and sauces.
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Dried unopened flower buds of an evergreen tree.
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Intriguing, nail-like shape makes exotic garnish. Strong flavor when used in ground form.
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Ham, pork, beets, sweet potatoes, boiled onions, and squash.
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Small round buff-colored seeds of the coriander plant.
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Sweet, musty, mild, delicately fragrant aroma with a lemon/sage undertone.
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Pickling, steak, kidney, and oyster pie.
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Small elongated yellowish-brown seeds of a plant in the parsley family.
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Strong flavor – tends to dominate foods.
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Essential in chili powder and curries.
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Small oval-shaped tan seed of the dill weed plant.
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Mild aroma similar to caraway.
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Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dips, pickles, stews, soups, salads, sauces, dressings, breads, and egg dishes.
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Green feathery leaves of the dill plant.
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Mild aroma similar to caraway.
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Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dips, pickles, stews, soups, salads, sauces, dressings, breads, and egg dishes.
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Small yellowish-brown watermelon-shaped seed of a member of the parsley family.
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Anise-like flavor. The distinctive note in hot and sweet Italian sausages.
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Sweet pickles, poultry, liver, veal, pork, spaghetti sauce, and sausages.
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Very small reddish-brown seeds of a member of the pea family.
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Pleasantly bitter flavor. Curry-like aroma.
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Essential in curry powder. Is the basis of imitation maple.
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Dried roots of a member of the zingiber family.
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Used whole, cracked, or ground.
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Pickles, baked goods, vegetables, Chinese dishes, or rubbed sparingly on meats.
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Lacy orange-colored aril that surrounds the seed of the nutmeg fruit.
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Similar to nutmeg, but slightly more pungent.
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Baked goods, sweets, fruits, whipped cream, and any chocolate.
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Grayish-green leaves of a member of the mint family.
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A cousin of oregano with milder, sweeter flavor.
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Stews, soups, stuffings, lamb, vegetables, and cottage cheese. Loses flavor in cooking; must be added last.
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MINT
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Dark green leaves of either the peppermint or spearmint plant.
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Strong and aromatic.
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Candies, sweets, gum, and tea.
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MUSTARD
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Tiny yellow or brownish seeds of a member of the cabbage family.
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Yellow or white seeds have a sharp bite but no aromatic pungency. Brown seeds are aromatically pungent as well as biting.
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Pickling, relishes, salads, casseroles, vegetables, and meats.
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NUTMEG
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The brown seed of the fruit of an evergreen tree.
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Warm, sweet, and spicy.
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Baked goods, puddings, sauces, soups, beverages, fish and vegetables (i.e. spinach and sweet potatoes).
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OREGANO
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Light green leaves of members of the mint family.
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Strong and aromatic.
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Italian dishes, meats, fish, cheese, eggs, and vegetables.
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PAPRIKA
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Milled in powder from the flesh of pods of certain capsicum plants.
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Flavor ranges from sweet and mild to mildly pungent.
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Spanish & Hungarian dishes, sausages, goulash, and garnish.
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PARSLEY
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Bright green leaves of the parsley plant.
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Flat leaf is mild. Curly leaf is for garnish. Enhances the flavor of most non-sweet foods.
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Sauces, butter blends, soups, eggs, fish, seafood, meat, fowl, and garnish.
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PEPPERCORN-BLACK
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Dried mature berries of a tropical vine.
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Medium heat. Used mainly for various forms of ground pepper.
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Numerous applications.
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PEPPERCORN-GREEN
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Dried immature berries of a tropical vine.
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Picked while green, resulting in a more mild flavor.
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Normally found in whole peppercorn blends.
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PEPPERCORN-PINK
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Dried red berries of a shrub-like evergreen.
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No relation to black pepper. Proper term is rose baises.
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Normally found in whole peppercorn blends.
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PEPPERCORN-WHITE
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Light tan-colored seed of the pepper berry, from which the dark outer husk is removed.
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Contains the heat of black peppercorn, but not the total bouquet. Often chosen for light-colored sauces and soups.
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Gravies, soups, sauces, and in recipes where color is important.
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POPPY SEED
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Seeds range in color from white to a slate shade that is termed blue in commercial classification.
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Crunchy, pleasant, nutty taste.
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Poppy seeds are favored as a condiment for baked goods and pastries due to their nutty odor and flavor.
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RED PEPPER
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Dried fruit (pods) of various small hot peppers.
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Cayenne is ground from the hottest chilies. Red pepper is the current industry designation for any ground red pepper.
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Gives heat to vegetables, meats, fish eggs, gravies, and sauces.
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ROSEMARY
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Green needle-like leaves of a shrub in the mint family.
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Intense peppery-mint flavor.
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Lamb, chicken, shrimp, citrus fruits, and vegetables.
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SAFFRON
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Dried flower stigmas of a member of the crocus family.
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Most expensive spice. Its aroma and flavor cannot be duplicated.
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Cakes, bouillabaisse, stews, sauces, and rice dishes. Imparts a deep yellow color.
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SAGE
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Long slender leaves that are silver-gray when dried. Member of the mint family.
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Found in whole or rubbed form. Medicinal minty flavor.
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Meats, stuffings, sausages, fish, salad dressings, and soups.
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SAVORY
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Small leaves (greenish-brown when dried) of a member of the mint family.
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Slightly bitter taste.
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Sausages, beans, stuffing, and bouquet garni.
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SESAME SEED
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Small ovalular pearly-white seeds of a member of the Pedaliacae family.
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Crunchy with a sweet, nutty flavor.
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May be used in place of nuts and on breads, cakes, pies, biscuits, meat loaves, stuffings, salads, and in butter for vegetables.
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TARRAGON
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Slender dark-green leaves of a member of the aster family.
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Distinctive for its hint of anise flavor.
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Most commonly used in vinegar, but is also complementary to chicken, seafood, tartar sauces, and seafood/egg salads.
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THYME
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Grayish-green leaves of a member of the mint family.
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One of the strongest herbs. Fresh, slightly minty flavor.
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Clam chowder and other soups; sauces, stuffing, stews, meat, fish, poultry, and tomato dishes.
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TURMERIC
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Orange-colored roots of a member of the ginger family.
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Slightly bitter and dry taste. Imparts a golden coloration.
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Curries, mustards, potatoes, rice, chicken, and eggs.
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