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Ajwain
Trachyspermum ammi
Tiny ridged seeds with a powerful thyme-oregano punch — the digestive workhorse of Indian breads, lentils, and snack mixes.
Below are spices that contain the letter N anywhere in the name. Each of the 27 spices below opens to a full profile.
Table of contents
List of Spices That Contain N
2
Anise
Pimpinella anisum
Small comma-shaped seeds with a pronounced licorice sweetness, used from Mediterranean liqueurs to Christmas cookies.
3
Annatto
Bixa orellana
The deep red-orange seed of a tropical shrub — used as much for color as flavor in Latin American, Filipino, and Caribbean cooking.
4
Brown Mustard Seed
Brassica juncea
Smaller, darker, and far hotter than yellow seed — the workhorse of Indian tempering and the spice that gives Dijon its bite.
5
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.
6
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.
7
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.
8
Cumin
Cuminum cyminum
A ribbed brown seed whose warm, earthy aroma anchors the cooking of India, Mexico, the Middle East, and North Africa.
9
Fennel Seed
Foeniculum vulgare
Pale green ridged seeds with a sweet anise punch — equally at home in Italian sausage, Indian mukhwas, and herbal tea.
10
Fenugreek
Trigonella foenum-graecum
A small, square, mustard-yellow seed with a maple-celery aroma — the secret behind that "curry house" smell and the soul of Indian methi dishes.
11
Galangal
Alpinia galanga
A pale, woody rhizome related to ginger but sharper and more medicinal — the foundation of Thai tom kha and Indonesian rendang.
12
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
The knobby rhizome of a tropical perennial — fresh, dried, or candied, it brings warmth and bright heat to countless cuisines.
13
Grains of Paradise
Aframomum melegueta
Small reddish-brown West African seeds with peppery heat and citrusy warmth — a medieval European favorite that survives in Norwegian aquavit and craft beer.
14
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.
15
Green Peppercorn
Piper nigrum
Unripe pepper berries preserved in brine or freeze-dried — soft, fresh, and herbaceous compared to their dried-black cousins.
16
Hungarian Paprika
Capsicum annuum
A spectrum of paprika grades from delicate sweet to fiery hot — the soul of Hungarian goulash, paprikash, and stuffed peppers.
17
Lavender Bud
Lavandula angustifolia
The dried purple buds of Mediterranean lavender — used carefully in herbes de Provence, shortbread, lemonade, and infused honey.
18
Long Pepper
Piper longum
A cone-shaped catkin of fused tiny fruits with the heat of pepper and a sweeter, more complex aromatic warmth — once Europe's favorite spice, now a rarity.
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Nigella Seed
Nigella sativa
Tiny matte-black seeds (also called kalonji or black caraway) with an onion-oregano savor — dusted on naan, pickles, and Bengali fish.
20
Nutmeg
Myristica fragrans
The dark inner seed of a tropical fruit — warm, sweet, and intoxicating in eggnog, béchamel, and Mughal court cuisine.
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
Saffron
Crocus sativus
The dried red stigmas of the autumn crocus — gram-for-gram the world's most expensive spice and a defining note of paella, biryani, and bouillabaisse.
23
Sansho
Zanthoxylum piperitum
Japanese prickly ash — a citrusy, lip-tingling cousin of Sichuan pepper served alongside grilled eel and dusted on yakitori.
24
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*.
25
Star Anise
Illicium verum
The dramatic eight-pointed seed pod of a Chinese evergreen — sweeter and more potent than anise, and the defining note of pho and five-spice.
26
Tamarind
Tamarindus indica
The sticky, dark, sweet-sour pulp inside a tropical legume's pod — central to Pad Thai, sambar, Worcestershire sauce, and Mexican tamarindo candy.
27
Vanilla
Vanilla planifolia
The cured seed pod of a Mexican orchid — the only edible orchid product, and the second-most-expensive spice on earth after saffron.
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