1
Allspice
Pimenta dioica
The dried unripe berry of a Caribbean evergreen — tasting uncannily like a blend of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg in a single hard pellet.
Below are spices that contain the letter C anywhere in the name. Each of the 24 spices below opens to a full profile.
List of Spices That Contain C
2
Black Cardamom
Amomum subulatum
A large, wrinkled, smoke-dried pod with a campfire intensity that lifts long-cooked meats and dals far from its delicate green cousin.
3
Black Pepper
Piper nigrum
The dried unripe fruit of Piper nigrum — the "king of spices" whose pungent heat shaped global trade routes and now sits on nearly every dinner table.
4
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.
5
Caraway
Carum carvi
Dark, curved seeds with a bracing earthy bite — the signature flavor of rye bread, sauerkraut, and Eastern European cooking.
6
Cassia
Cinnamomum cassia
The thicker, darker, bolder bark sold as "cinnamon" in most supermarkets — assertive enough to flavor American cinnamon rolls and Chinese braises.
7
Cayenne
Capsicum annuum
A bright red, finely ground cayenne pepper powder — a workhorse of American Creole cuisine and the default "hot" of generic spice racks.
8
Ceylon Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum
The "true" cinnamon — delicate, papery quills of Sri Lankan bark with citrus-floral notes and far less of the punch of cassia.
9
Chipotle
Capsicum annuum
A jalapeño pepper smoke-dried for hours over mesquite — bringing leathery sweetness and a campfire bass note to Mexican adobos and rubs.
10
Clove
Syzygium aromaticum
The dried unopened flower bud of an Indonesian evergreen — intensely sweet, hot, and aromatic enough to perfume a whole pot of mulled wine.
11
Coriander Seed
Coriandrum sativum
The dried fruit of the cilantro plant — gently floral, citrusy, and the most forgiving of "sweet" spices used by the heaping spoonful.
12
Cumin
Cuminum cyminum
A ribbed brown seed whose warm, earthy aroma anchors the cooking of India, Mexico, the Middle East, and North Africa.
13
Curry Leaf
Murraya koenigii
Glossy, fragrant leaves from a small South Indian tree — utterly different from "curry powder," and the soul of Sri Lankan and South Indian tempering.
14
Gochugaru
Capsicum annuum
Korean coarse red chili flake — bright, sun-dried, with a fruity sweetness behind the heat — and the defining color of kimchi.
15
Green Cardamom
Elettaria cardamomum
The pale-green seed pod of a tropical ginger relative — the "queen of spices" and one of the world's most expensive flavorings by weight.
16
Green Peppercorn
Piper nigrum
Unripe pepper berries preserved in brine or freeze-dried — soft, fresh, and herbaceous compared to their dried-black cousins.
17
Hibiscus
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Dried ruby-red calyces of a tropical mallow — steeped into the tart, cranberry-bright agua de jamaica, sorrel drink, and bissap of three continents.
18
Liquorice
Glycyrrhiza glabra
A sweet, woody root with anise undertones — boiled down for candy in Scandinavia and chewed as a digestive across the Middle East.
19
Mace
Myristica fragrans
The lacy red aril that wraps the nutmeg seed — a more delicate, brighter sibling spice prized in classical European charcuterie and Indian biryani.
20
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.
21
Pink Peppercorn
Schinus molle
Not a true pepper at all but the rosy berry of a Peruvian shrub — fragrant, sweet, and increasingly popular in modern cuisine.
22
Sichuan Pepper
Zanthoxylum bungeanum
The husks of a prickly ash berry whose alkamide molecules produce a tingling, electric numbness on the lips — the *ma* in Sichuan's signature *mala*.
23
Sumac
Rhus coriaria
The crushed deep-red fruit of a Mediterranean bush — sour, bright, almost lemony, dusted over kebabs, salads, and the za'atar spice blend.
24
Turmeric
Curcuma longa
A neon-gold rhizome from the ginger family — the color of Indian curry, the muscle of Buddhist monks' robes, and a growing star of wellness culture.
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Try spices that start with C, or end with C. Or browse the full spices index.