Blends and masalas
67 spice blends, pastes and rubs, each drawn as a ring of its parts and made step by step: toast, grind, blend, temper, store.
Presented by ClearTrust Free for cooks, makers and the curious.
Regional blends
The signature mix of a country, a coast or a city: garam masala, ras el hanout, baharat.
🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇧🇩 Regional blendsGaram masalaThe 'warming' finishing blend of the north, built on cardamom, cinnamon, clove and cumin.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Regional blendsChaat masalaA tart, salty, savoury powder built on amchur and black salt, shaken over snacks and fruit.🇮🇳 Regional blendsSambar powderThe South Indian lentil-stew powder of coriander, dried chilli, lentils and fenugreek.🇮🇳 🇧🇩 🇳🇵 Regional blendsPanch phoronBengali five-seed whole spice mix of fenugreek, nigella, mustard, cumin and fennel.🇮🇳 Regional blendsGoda masalaA dark, lightly sweet Maharashtrian blend with dried coconut and stone flower.🇮🇳 🇱🇰 Regional blendsRasam powderA peppery cumin and coriander powder for the thin, sour soup called rasam.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Regional blendsTandoori masalaA red marinade blend for food cooked in a clay oven, bright with paprika or Kashmiri chilli.🇮🇳 Regional blendsPav bhaji masalaA tangy, mild blend of dried mango, cumin and coriander for Mumbai's mashed vegetable and bread dish.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇧🇩 Regional blendsBiryani masalaA fragrant blend of whole and ground spices for layered rice and meat.🇮🇳 Regional blendsChettinad masalaThe peppery, aromatic blend of Tamil Nadu's Chettinad region, with kalpasi and fennel.🇮🇳 Regional blendsMilagai podi (gunpowder)A dry chutney powder of roasted lentils, sesame and chilli, eaten with oil on idli and dosa.🇱🇰 Regional blendsSri Lankan roasted curry powderA dark, deeply roasted curry powder with rice, cinnamon and fennel, used in Sri Lankan curries.🇵🇰 🇮🇳 🇧🇩 Regional blendsNihari masalaA warming blend for the slow-cooked beef or lamb stew eaten at breakfast across Pakistan.🇮🇳 Regional blendsDhansak masalaThe Parsi blend for dhansak, a lentil and meat dish, with fenugreek, cinnamon and chilli.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Regional blendsHaleem masalaA rich blend for haleem, the slow-cooked grain and meat porridge of Ramadan evenings.🇲🇾 🇸🇬 Regional blendsMalaysian meat curry powderA mixed-ancestry curry powder of coriander, fennel and cumin used for Malay and Indian curries.🇨🇳 Regional blendsMala seasoningThe numbing-and-hot mix of Sichuan pepper and chilli behind Sichuan hot pot and skewers.🇬🇪 Regional blendsKhmeli suneliGeorgia's dried herb and spice blend, led by blue fenugreek, coriander and marigold petals.🇺🇿 🇹🇯 🇦🇫 Regional blendsPlov spice mixCumin, barberry and dried coriander for the festive rice pilaf of Central Asia.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Regional blendsAchari masala (pickle spice)The pickle-spice blend of fennel, nigella, mustard and fenugreek used in curries and chutneys.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Regional blendsKashmiri masala (verinag)A Kashmiri wazwan blend with fennel, dried ginger and black cardamom, mild in heat.🇮🇳 Regional blendsBisi bele bath powderA Karnataka blend with coconut, sesame, cinnamon and marathi mogga for the rice and lentil dish.🇲🇦 🇩🇿 🇹🇳 Regional blendsRas el hanoutMorocco's 'top of the shop' blend, with a dozen or more spices chosen by each spice seller.🇹🇷 🇸🇦 🇮🇶 Regional blendsBaharatThe Arabic word for spices, also a warm all-purpose blend of pepper, cinnamon and cumin.🇱🇧 🇸🇾 🇯🇴 Regional blendsZa'atarA Levantine mix of dried wild thyme or hyssop, sumac, sesame and salt, eaten with oil and bread.🇪🇹 🇪🇷 Regional blendsBerbereEthiopia and Eritrea's deep red chilli blend with fenugreek, korarima and ajwain.🇮🇷 🇮🇶 🇦🇫 Regional blendsAdviehPersian aromatic blends with rose petals, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin, in several kinds.🇾🇪 🇮🇱 Regional blendsHawaijYemeni blends: one with cumin, pepper and turmeric for soups, one with cardamom and ginger for coffee.🇪🇹 Regional blendsMitmitaA very hot Ethiopian chilli powder with cardamom, clove and salt, used with raw beef.🇲🇦 🇩🇿 🇹🇳 Regional blendsTagine spice mixA home blend of ginger, turmeric, saffron and cinnamon for slow-cooked Moroccan stews.🇹🇳 Regional blendsTabilA Tunisian blend of coriander, caraway, garlic and chilli, from a word meaning seasoning.🇹🇹 🇯🇲 🇬🇾 Regional blendsCaribbean curry powderA turmeric-yellow blend carried to the Caribbean by Indian indentured workers.🇪🇹 🇪🇷 Regional blendsNiter kibbeh spice mixThe aromatic mix simmered into Ethiopian clarified butter: fenugreek, korarima, cardamom and turmeric.
Classic blends
Blends the whole world knows: curry powder, five-spice, herbes de Provence.
🇨🇳 🇹🇼 🇻🇳 Classic blendsFive-spice powderChinese blend built on star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel.🇯🇵 Classic blendsShichimi togarashiJapan's seven-flavour chilli blend with sansho, orange peel, sesame and seaweed.🇨🇳 Classic blendsThirteen-spice powder (shisanxiang)A northern Chinese multi-spice powder with a long list of warm and aromatic ingredients.🇺🇸 🇲🇽 Classic blendsChili powder (American blend)A US seasoning of ground chilli with cumin, garlic and oregano, built for chilli con carne.🇬🇧 🇮🇳 🇯🇵 Classic blendsCurry powderA British-era mixed powder of turmeric, coriander and cumin, shaped by trade with India.🇫🇷 Classic blendsQuatre epicesThe French four-spice powder of ground pepper, clove, nutmeg and ginger for charcuterie.🇫🇷 Classic blendsHerbes de ProvenceA dried herb blend, not a spice blend: thyme, savory, rosemary and oregano from southern France.🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 Classic blendsPickling spiceA whole-spice mix of mustard seed, dill, bay, coriander and peppercorn for brines.
Sweet and baking blends
Pumpkin spice, speculaas, mixed spice and the warm mixes of the oven.
🇬🇧 🇮🇪 🇦🇺 Sweet and baking blendsMixed spice (pudding spice)The British baking blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and clove for puddings and buns.🇺🇸 🇨🇦 Sweet and baking blendsPumpkin pie spiceA North American blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove, sold in autumn.🇳🇱 🇧🇪 🇩🇪 Sweet and baking blendsSpeculaas spice (speculoos)The Dutch and Belgian biscuit blend of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and white pepper.🇩🇪 Sweet and baking blendsLebkuchen spice (Lebkuchengewuerz)The German gingerbread blend of cinnamon, clove, coriander, anise and cardamom.
Pastes and wet masalas
Ground wet: curry pastes, harissa, recado and the mortar-made bases of the kitchen.
🇮🇩 🇲🇾 🇸🇬 Pastes and wet masalasSambalA chilli paste of the Malay world, pounded fresh, from simple oelek to shrimp-paste terasi.🇮🇩 🇲🇾 Pastes and wet masalasRendang spice paste (bumbu)The pounded paste of galangal, lemongrass, chilli and turmeric behind Minangkabau rendang.🇹🇠Pastes and wet masalasThai red curry pasteA pounded paste of dried red chilli, galangal, lemongrass and shrimp paste for kaeng phet.🇹🇠Pastes and wet masalasMassaman curry pasteA mild, warmly spiced Thai paste with cardamom, cinnamon and cumin, reflecting trade links.🇰🇷 Pastes and wet masalasKimchi seasoning pasteA gochugaru, garlic and fish sauce paste rubbed between cabbage leaves for kimchi.🇰🇷 Pastes and wet masalasGochujangKorea's fermented red chilli paste of glutinous rice, soybean and gochugaru.🇬🇪 🇷🇺 Pastes and wet masalasAdjikaA hot, garlicky red paste of the Abkhaz and Georgian table, with chilli, herbs and salt.🇹🇳 🇩🇿 🇲🇦 Pastes and wet masalasHarissaA Tunisian red chilli paste of garlic, caraway, coriander and olive oil.🇲🇦 🇩🇿 🇹🇳 Pastes and wet masalasChermoulaA North African marinade of coriander, parsley, garlic, lemon, cumin and paprika, mostly for fish.🇲🇽 🇧🇿 🇬🇹 Pastes and wet masalasRecado rojoThe Yucatan red achiote paste with sour orange, allspice, cumin and garlic.
Rubs and barbecue
Jerk, Cajun, barbecue and the dry rubs of the grill.
🇪🇬 Rubs and barbecueDukkahAn Egyptian dry dip of crushed nuts, sesame, coriander and cumin, eaten with bread and oil.🇳🇬 🇬🇠🇳🇪 Rubs and barbecueSuya spice (yaji)The groundnut and chilli rub of Hausa suya, the roadside grilled meat of northern Nigeria.🇯🇲 Rubs and barbecueJamaican jerk seasoningA hot Jamaican rub of scotch bonnet, allspice and thyme for slow-smoked meat.🇺🇸 Rubs and barbecueCajun seasoningA Louisiana blend of paprika, cayenne, garlic, onion and oregano.🇵🇷 🇩🇴 🇨🇺 Rubs and barbecueAdobo seasoningA Caribbean and Latin American all-purpose dry rub of garlic, oregano and pepper.🇺🇸 Rubs and barbecueOld Bay seasoningA Chesapeake Bay seafood seasoning of celery salt, paprika and pepper.🇺🇸 🇲🇽 Rubs and barbecueTaco seasoningA US pantry mix of chilli, cumin, garlic, onion and oregano for seasoned mince.
Salts and finishing mixes
Furikake, dukkah, gomasio and the seasonings sprinkled on at the end.
🇯🇵 Salts and finishing mixesFurikakeA dry Japanese rice topping of seaweed, sesame and salt, with fish or egg in some versions.🇬🇪 Salts and finishing mixesSvan salt (svanuri marili)A dry blend of salt, garlic, blue fenugreek and chilli from the Svaneti mountains.🇨🇳 🇹🇼 Salts and finishing mixesSichuan pepper salt (jiaoyan)Toasted Sichuan pepper ground with salt, a dry dipping seasoning for fried food.
Tea and drink blends
Chai masala, mulling spices and the mixes made for a cup.
🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇧🇩 Tea and drink blendsMasala chai blendThe spiced milk tea of the subcontinent: cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove and black pepper.🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇬🇧 Tea and drink blendsMulled wine spices (Gluhwein)Cinnamon, clove, star anise, orange and sugar warmed into red wine at winter markets.