SEASON TO TASTE: HERB AND SPICE CHART

556 THE MEAT MARKET 

SEASON TO TASTE: HERB AND SPICE CHART 

A 

perfect tomato can taste of France, Italy, India, 

South America, or the American Southwest 

with just the right combination of fresh 

herbs and spices. Like a magic palette, they color the 

simplest of foods and turn ordinary dishes into 

extraordinary ones. They are the key to New Basics. 

HERB OR SPICE BEST USE AVAILABLE GROW (in average garden) 

ALLSPICE 

Dried spice berries, 

slightly larger than 

peppercorns. Allspice 

tastes of cinnamon, 

cloves, and nutmeg— 

therefore, the name. 

ANISE 

Small, licorice-flavored 

seeds. 

BASIL 

Herb with sweet 

clove-like taste. Varieties 

include sweet basil, 

small-leaved bush basil, 

dark opal, and lemon 

basil. 

BAY LEAF 

Pungent, woodsy herb 

with sturdy leaves and 

faint cinnamon taste. 

BORAGE 

Leafy herb tasting faintly 

of cucumbers. 

Excellent in spice cakes 

and cookies; plum, 

peach, and apple pies; 

breads; steamed 

puddings; and barbecue 

sauce, ketchup, pickles, 

sausages, pates, and 

corned beef. 

Use in cookies, breads, 

and cakes. 

Essential herb for Italian 

food, especially with 

eggs, tomatoes, pasta, 

chicken, fish, and 

shellfish. 

Essential for bouquet 

garni. Good with meat 

and/or bean stews, 

game, pot roasts; adds 

unusual note to rice 

pudding and custards. 

Young leaves are 

wonderful in 

salads—both green and 

fruit—with string beans, 

in fruit drinks and teas. 

Blue flowers are sweet 

tasting and a very pretty 

garnish. 

Dried whole berries and 

ground 

Dried whole seeds and 

ground 

Fresh sprigs and 

crumbled dried 

Dried whole leaves 

In some vegetable 

markets 

No 

No 

Indoors and out 

Indoors and out Bay is a 

perennial herb but will 

not overwinter in harsh 

climates. 

Indoors and out. Pick 

leaves when small and 

young; older leaves are 

tougher and hairy.

SEASON TO TASTE 557 


CARAWAY 

Nutty, licorice-flavored 

seeds. 

CARDAMOM 

Fragrant cinnamon-like 

seed popular in baked 

goods and Indian 

cuisine. 

CAYENNE 

Red pepper of the 

capsicum family most 

often used dried. 

CELERY SEEDS 

Dried seed tasting 

strongly of celery. 

CHERVIL 

Delicate herb with subtle 

celery-licorice taste. 

CHILI POWDER 

Commercial mix of 

ground chile peppers, 

cumin, oregano, and 

other herbs and spices. 

CHIVES 

Delicate herb with light 

onion or garlic taste. 

Decorative as well as 

useful garden herb. 

Use with eggs, cheese 

spreads, and dips; with 

noodles; in rye bread, 

cole slaw, and 

sauerbraten; and with 

cooked vegetables— 

potatoes, beets, carrots, 

cabbage, turnips, and 

winter squash. 

Use in spice cakes and 

cookies, apple and 

pumpkin pies, curries; 

with winter squash and 

sweet potatoes. 

Use in any dish for a 

little heat, especially with 

eggs and cheese. Add 

cayenne by the pinch. 

Excellent in 

salads—potato, cole slaw, 

and vegetable. 

Excellent in green salads; 

with fish, shellfish, 

chicken, eggs, cream, 

peas, string beans, and 

tomatoes. Essential for 

fines herbes. 

Use in bean and meat 

stews and soups; with 

eggs and cheese. 

Excellent in cream soups 

and sauces; with fish and 

shellfish, cheese, and 

eggs. 

Dried whole seeds 


ground 

Dried whole pods, but 

more usually ground 

(also labeled simply 

"ground red pepper") 




Ground 

Fresh stalks; frozen and 

freeze-dried, minced, or 

chopped 

Outdoors 

No 

Outdoors 

No 


No 

Indoors and out



CINNAMON 

Spice bark of the cassia 

tree, sweet hot flavor. 

CLOVE 

Spice of winter holidays, 

pungent and sweet 

CORIANDER/CILANTRO 

Nutty-tasting seeds are 

called coriander. Cilantro 

is the herb and tastes 

refreshingly soapy. 

CUMIN 

Small, hot, bitter seed. 

Use in spice cakes, 

cookies, fruit and squash 

pies, custards; with fruit 

for sauce and conserves; 

carrots, winter squash, 

and sweet potatoes. 

A few whole cloves stuck 

in an onion flavor stocks, 

and more are pressed 

into the scored fat of a 

ham, but most are added 

ground to spice cakes 

and cookies, quick 

breads, fruit pies, and 

sauces. Use judiciously 

with sweet potatoes, 

winter squash, carrots, 

and pates. 

Use whole seeds for 

pickles and ground for 

baking. Cilantro is an 

essential herb for 

Mexican, Latin 

American, and Asian 

cooking. Use with rice, 

dried beans, fish, 

shellfish, poultry, 

vegetables, salsas, and 

salads. Add the fresh 

herb at the last minute 

before serving. 

Essential spice for curry 

and chili powder 

mixtures. Good with 

curried vegetables, 

beans, fish, lamb, and 

poultry, as well as with 

cheese, sausages, 

chutney, and yogurt dip. 

Dried whole sticks and 

ground 

Dried whole buds and 

ground 

Seeds: dried whole and 

ground 

Leaves: fresh 


ground 

No 

No 

Outdoors. Hang cilantro 

flowers upside down over 

paper to gather seeds. 

No



DILL 

Seeds and herb have 

delicate caraway taste. 

Seeds are the more 

pungent. 

FENNEL SEEDS 

Slight licorice flavor, 

similar to dill and anise. 

FILE POWDER 

Herb ground from 

sassafras leaves, tasting 

like sassafras or root 

beer. 

FINES HERBES 

French herb blend of 

parsley, chives, tarragon, 

and chervil. 

GINGER 

Versatile spice with bite 

and aroma. Important to 

dozens of cuisines from 

Jamaica to Germany to 

China. 

Both seeds and herb are 

used for pickles. Use 

seeds with rice and fish 

dishes and fresh dill 

leaves with eggs, fresh 

cheeses, yogurt, seafood, 

chicken, cucumbers, 

green beans, potatoes, 

tomatoes, and beets. 

Favorite for 

Scandinavian breads, 

cakes, cookies. Also good 

with oily fish (it cuts the 

oil), especially fish soup, 

and with vegetables, in 

salads and salad 

dressing. 

Seeds: dried whole 

Leaves: fresh and 

crumbled dried (dried 

leaves are sometimes 

labeled "dillweed") 


Essential for gumbo. Ground dried No 

Good with fish, poultry, 

eggs, and cheese. 

Use ground dried 

judiciously in cakes, 

cookies, fruit and squash 

pies, custard, rice, and 

marinades. Use 

crystallized and 

preserved ginger in cakes 

and cookies. Use fresh 

sliced or grated in 

marinades and with fish, 

poultry, pork, and 

vegetables. 

Crumbled dried leaves 

Dried ground, dried 

whole, crystallized, 

preserved, and fresh 

Outdoors 

Outdoors 

Herbs grow well indoors 

and out. They can be 

dried and blended or 

combined fresh. 

No



HYSSOP 

Pungent herb with minty 

taste. Decorative garden 

plant. 

JUNIPER 

Strong spice berries the 

size of small blueberries. 

Most are used in the 

making of gin. 

LAVENDER 

Herb with fresh clean 

scent. 

LEMON GRASS 

Straw-like stalk has 

woodsy, lemony flavor. 

LEMON BALM 

Herb with sweet lemon 

flavor and citrusy scent. 

LOVAGE 

Herb with sharp celery 

taste. 

MACE 

Lacy outer covering of 

nutmeg; flavor is similar 

to but slightly milder 

than nutmeg. 

Use flowers for garnish 

and young leaves in 

salads — both green and 

fruit. 

Use in marinades for 

fish, game, poultry, pork 

and beef, and in 

sauerkraut and 

choucroute. 

Excellent for sachets and 

potpourris but also good 

added judiciously to 

herbes de Provence, fruit, 

and iced tea. 

Essential herb of 

Indonesian and Near 

Eastern cooking. Use in 

fish, shellfish, chicken 

soup, salsas, and 

vinaigrettes. Low heat 

brings out the flavor. 

Excellent in summer 

soups, salads, jellies and 

jams, and with fruit. 

Use judiciously in salads 

and stock or soup. 

Good in spice cakes and 

cookies, custards, fruit 

desserts—especially 

plums, peaches, and 

apples—as well as with 

carrots, broccoli, 

Brussels sprouts, and 

cauliflower. 

Fresh sprigs in specialty 

markets 

Dried whole berries 

Fresh sprigs and dried 

whole leaves in specialty 

markets 

Fresh and dried stalks in 

specialty markets 


markets 


markets 

Dried blades and ground 

Outdoors 

No 

Best outdoors but will 

grow indoors 

No 


Outdoors 

No


HERB OR SPICE BEST USE AVAILABLE GROW (im average garen) 

MARJORAM 

Herb that is first cousin 

to oregano with similar 

but more delicate taste. 

MINT 

Herb with refreshing 

scent and cool taste. Of 

more than 30 varieties, 

peppermint and 

spearmint are best 

known. Lemon, orange, 

and apple mint have 

distinct fruit taste. 

NUTMEG 

Sweet, nutty spice seed 

of the nutmeg tree, the 

size of an olive. 

OREGANO 

Herb with pungent 

marjoram taste. 

PAPRIKA 

Ground spice of dried 

capsicum peppers. 

Use in almost any fish, 

meat, poultry, egg, or 

vegetable dish, and in 

tomato sauce. 

Use in Middle Eastern 

yogurt and grain dishes 

(tabbouleh), salads; with 

peas, beans, corn, and 

potatoes; in jellies, fruit 

salads, desserts, and iced 

tea. 

Best in cream sauces and 

soups, with vegetables— 

beans, broccoli, carrots, 

cauliflower, spinach, 

Brussels sprouts, onions 

—but especially for 

cakes, cookies, pies, 

pastries, custard, and of 

course, eggnog. 

Use with fish, meat, 

poultry, dried beans, 

cheese, eggs; in vegetable 

soup; with tomatoes, 

mushrooms, peppers, 

summer squash, and 

eggplant. Essential herb 

for Italian, Greek, and 

Mexican cooking. 

Good in cooked 

salads—especially potato 

and egg—salad dressing, 

dips; with fish, shellfish, 

and poultry. Essential for 

goulash and paprikash. 

Fresh sprigs, dried whole 

leaves, and crumbled 

dried 



Whole seeds and ground 

Ground nutmeg quickly 

loses its flavor; buy 

whole nutmeg and grate 

as needed. 



Ground dried 

Hungarian paprika is 

most flavorful and 

available sweet or hot. 


Indoon and out 

No 


No



PARSLEY 

Crisp herb with celery 

flavor. Of two common 

varieties—Italian flat leaf 

and curly leaf—flat leaf 

has the stronger flavor. 

Use curly parsley for 

garnishing. 

POPPY SEEDS 

Tiny blue-black seeds of 

the poppy flower. 

900,000 make a pound. 

ROSEMARY 

Needle-like leaves with 

strong piny scent and 

flavor. 

SAFFRON 

Fragrant spice that is the 

dried stigmas of crocus. 

Expensive because they 

are handpicked (about 

250,000 make a pound), 

but a little goes a long 

way. Too much saffron 

lends an unpleasant 

medicinal flavor. 

SAGE 

Herb with musky flavor. 

Silver-green leaves make 

sage a decorative garden 

plant. 

Excellent in soups, 

stocks, cream and tomato 

sauces, salads and salad 

dressings; with poultry, 

game, meats, fish, and 

shellfish, dried beans, 

and vegetables—from 

artichokes to zucchini. 

Use for cakes, pastries, 

cookies, breads, with 

noodles and fresh fruit. 

Best with game, poultry, 

and meats, especially 

grilled. Add judiciously 

to mushrooms, roasted 

potatoes, stuffing, olive 

oil breads and buns, and 

ripe melon. 

Use in paella, 

bouillabaisse, risotto, 

tomato and cream soups, 

couscous; with seafood; 

in Swedish cakes and 

breads. 

Excellent and best known 

for poultry stuffing. Use 

judiciously with chicken, 

duck, goose, pork, 

sausages, cheese, 

eggplant, and dried bean 

stews and soups. 


crumbled dried. Fresh 

parsley is readily 

available; dried parsley is 

pale and dusty in 

comparison. 

Whole seeds and ground 

paste 

Fresh sprigs and whole 

dried 

Dried whole stigmas and 

ground. Dried whole 

saffron threads are of 

better quality. 


leaves, crumbled dried, 

and ground 


No 


grow indoors 

No 


grow indoors



SALAD BURNET 

Lacy-leaved herb with a 

cucumber taste. 

SAVORY 

This peppery herb has 

two varieties—summer 

and winter. Summer 

savory is the more 

delicate and best suited 

for cooking. 

TARRAGON 

Herb with mild licorice 

flavor. French tarragon 

has subtlest flavor. 

THYME 

Herb with tiny leaves 

and minty, tea-like 

flavor. Many varieties 

include lemon, orange, 

English, and French 

thyme. 

TURMERIC 

Brilliant yellow ground 

spice. 

Use young small leaves 

in salads and with fresh 

cheeses. 

Europeans call savory the 

bean herb for its special 

affinity for limas, string 

beans, lentils, and dried 

beans. Also excellent in 

meatloaf and meatballs, 

sausages; with poultry, 

cheese, eggs, cauliflower, 

tomatoes, and onions. 

Best with chicken, veal, 

fish, shellfish, eggs; in 

mayonnaise and salad 

dressings; with tomatoes, 

mushrooms, and carrots. 

Essential herb of the 

bouquet garni as well as 

fish and clam chowder, 

sausages, pates, and 

stuffing. Excellent with 

fish and shellfish, 

poultry, tomatoes, beans, 

eggplant, mushrooms, 

potatoes, and summer 

squash. 

Essential to mustard, 

curry powder, pickles, 

and relishes; also used in 

moderation for its yellow 

color in rice dishes. 


markets 




leaves, and crumbled 

dried 



Ground dried 

Outdoors 

Summer savory: indoors 

and out Winter savory: 

outdoors 

Indoors 

and out 


No

SEASON TO TASTE: HERB AND SPICE CHART

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