Click on the name for a picture.
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Herb or Spice
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Source
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Flavor
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Best Used
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Cooking Use
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ALLSPICE
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Berries of the allspice tree Pimenta dioica
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Like a mix of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
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Freshly ground
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Virtually anything, from salads to desserts
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ANISE
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Seeds of the anise plant Pimpinella anisum
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Sweet, similar to licorice
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Dried seeds
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As flavoring in cookies, candies and pastries; also in poultry dishes
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BASIL
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Leaves and stems of the basil plant Ocimum basilicum vars
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Pungent, somewhat sweet
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Fresh
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Tomato dishes, with eggplant, for pesto, in Thai and Vietnamese foods, addition to salads and many cooked vegetables
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BAY
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Leaves of the sweet bay tree Laurus nobilis
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Mild
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Dried
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In soups, stews and tomato sauces, and in shellfish boils. Remove leaf before serving
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BLACK PEPPER
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Berries of the pepper tree Piper nigrum. Not related to the species of plants that include bell or other types of peppers.
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Pungent, somewhat hot
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Dried, freshly ground
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As condiment, in any dish you wish to make mildly hot
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Herb or Spice
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Source
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Flavor
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Best Used
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Cooking Use
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BORAGE
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Leaves and flowers of the borage plant Borago officinalis
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Mild
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Fresh
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Flowers as garnish or in salads; leaves in salads or in herbal tea mixtures. Either can be candied.
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CAPERS
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Unopened flower buds from the caperbush Capparis spinosa
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Pungent
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Pickled in brine
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In sauces, as a garnish, and as a flavoring when pickling other foods
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CARAWAY
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Seeds of the caraway plant Carum carvi
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Sweet, nutty
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Whole
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Hungarian goulash, cookies and cakes, apple sauce, herbal vinegars
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CARDAMOM
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Seeds from the cardamom tree Elettaria cardamomum, a member of the ginger family
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Sweetly spicy
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Whole or ground
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Stews, curries. Use sparingly, as it has a strong taste.
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CAYENNE PEPPER
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Ground dried fruit or seeds of the cayenne pepper plant Capiscum annum
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Fiery hot
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Dried and ground or fresh and finely chopped
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Use sparingly -- it's very hot -- in anything you want to taste hot. Warning: as in all hot peppers, the seeds are extremely hot, so wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
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CELERY SEED
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Seeds of the celery plant Apium graveolens
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Strong, pungent celery flavor
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Dried whole seed
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As a replacement for celery stalks in cooking; as a flavoring in tomato juice, sauces and soups
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CHERVIL
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Leaves and stems of the chervil plant Anthriscus cerefolium
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Light, similar to parsley
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Fresh or frozen
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Flavoring in soups, casseroles, salads, and in omelettes.
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Herb or Spice
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Source
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Flavor
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Best Used
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Cooking Use
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CHILE POWDER
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Dried, ground chili peppers Capiscum annum
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Spicy, hot (heat depends on variety of chili pepper used)
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Ground
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In chili or other spicy dishes
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CHIVES
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Leaves of the chive plant, a member of the Allium family
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Sharp, onion or garlic flavor
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Fresh; frozen if fresh not available
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Garnish, blended with soft cheeses, added to salads
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CILANTRO
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Leaves of the coriander plant Coriandrum sativum
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Spicy, sweet or hot
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Fresh
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In Middle Eastern, southeast Asian, Chines, Latin American and Spanish cuisines; common ingredient in Mexican salsas.
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CINNAMON
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Dried bark of the cinnamon tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum
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Pungently sweet
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As dried sticks or ground powder
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In sweet dishes or in curries and stews
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CLOVES
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Dried flower bud of the clove tree Syzygium aromaticum
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Sweet or bittersweet
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Dried and ground
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Add to sweet dishes or as a contrast in stews and curries.
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CORIANDER
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Seeds of the coriander plant Coriandrum sativum
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Spicy, sweet or hot
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Ground or whole
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In cakes, cookies, breads, as a pickling spice or in curry mixtures
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Herb or Spice
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Source
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Flavor
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Best Used
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Cooking Use
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CUMIN
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Seed of the cumin plant Cuminum cyminum
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Peppery
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Whole or ground
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Soups, stews, sauces. Use sparingly.
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CURRY POWDER
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Combination of several ground spices
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Hot
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Sparingly -- taste the dish in which you're using to gauge heat level
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Curries
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