1
Ajwain
Trachyspermum ammi
Tiny ridged seeds with a powerful thyme-oregano punch — the digestive workhorse of Indian breads, lentils, and snack mixes.
Looking for 6-letter spices? Here are 9 spices that fit — each linked to a full profile.
Letters are counted across the whole name with spaces, hyphens, apostrophes, and diacritics excluded. "Apple Pie" is 8 letters; "Boeuf Bourguignon" is 16.
List of 6-letter Spices
2
Capers
Capparis spinosa
The unopened flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub, pickled in salt or brine — the briny pop in puttanesca, tartare sauce, and chicken piccata.
3
Cassia
Cinnamomum cassia
The thicker, darker, bolder bark sold as "cinnamon" in most supermarkets — assertive enough to flavor American cinnamon rolls and Chinese braises.
4
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
The knobby rhizome of a tropical perennial — fresh, dried, or candied, it brings warmth and bright heat to countless cuisines.
5
Mahleb
Prunus mahaleb
The ground inner kernel of a wild Mediterranean cherry stone — a marzipan-meets-cherry-pit flavor that perfumes Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese sweet breads.
6
Mastic
Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia
Aromatic resin "tears" wept by Greek pistachio relatives on the island of Chios — used in Greek ice cream, Turkish delight, and Lebanese pastries.
7
Nutmeg
Myristica fragrans
The dark inner seed of a tropical fruit — warm, sweet, and intoxicating in eggnog, béchamel, and Mughal court cuisine.
8
Sansho
Zanthoxylum piperitum
Japanese prickly ash — a citrusy, lip-tingling cousin of Sichuan pepper served alongside grilled eel and dusted on yakitori.
9
Wasabi
Eutrema japonicum
A Japanese mountain rhizome whose freshly grated paste delivers a fleeting nasal heat — and whose green tube imposters are almost always dyed horseradish.
About 6-letter spices
That's our current list of spices with exactly 6 letters. Need a different length? Try the browse-by-length pills in the sidebar, or combine with a starting letter — for example, 6-letter spices that start with A.