1
Aleppo Pepper
Capsicum annuum
A coarsely crushed Syrian-Turkish chili with a soft fruity heat and salt-oil sheen — the finishing flake of choice for kebabs, hummus, and labneh.
Below are spices that contain the letter R anywhere in the name. Each of the 32 spices below opens to a full profile.
Table of contents
List of Spices That Contain R
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
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
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.
6
Caraway
Carum carvi
Dark, curved seeds with a bracing earthy bite — the signature flavor of rye bread, sauerkraut, and Eastern European cooking.
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
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.
9
Espelette Pepper
Capsicum annuum
A mild Basque chili from a single French village — a fruity, gentle alternative to black pepper at every Basque table.
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
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
The knobby rhizome of a tropical perennial — fresh, dried, or candied, it brings warmth and bright heat to countless cuisines.
12
Gochugaru
Capsicum annuum
Korean coarse red chili flake — bright, sun-dried, with a fruity sweetness behind the heat — and the defining color of kimchi.
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
Horseradish
Armoracia rusticana
A gnarled white root that releases nostril-stinging heat the moment it is grated — the spicy backbone of cocktail sauce, Passover seder, and Bloody Marys.
17
Hungarian Paprika
Capsicum annuum
A spectrum of paprika grades from delicate sweet to fiery hot — the soul of Hungarian goulash, paprikash, and stuffed peppers.
18
Kaffir Lime Leaf
Citrus hystrix
The double-lobed, intensely citrus-perfumed leaves of a Southeast Asian lime — slivered into soups, curries, and stir-fries from Bangkok to Phnom Penh.
19
Lavender Bud
Lavandula angustifolia
The dried purple buds of Mediterranean lavender — used carefully in herbes de Provence, shortbread, lemonade, and infused honey.
20
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.
21
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.
22
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.
23
Rose Petal
Rosa damascena
Dried petals of damask roses — used in Persian rice, Indian gulkand, Middle Eastern desserts, and the spice blend ras el hanout.
24
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.
25
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*.
26
Smoked Paprika
Capsicum annuum
Spanish pimentón dried over oak smoke for weeks — the campfire-deep red powder behind chorizo, paella, and patatas bravas.
27
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.
28
Sweet Paprika
Capsicum annuum
Ground sweet bell-pepper-style chiles with rich color and little heat — the supermarket staple sprinkled over deviled eggs and goulash worldwide.
29
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.
30
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.
31
White Pepper
Piper nigrum
Fully ripe peppercorns with the dark husk removed — softer, earthier, and prized in pale sauces where black flecks would distract.
32
Yellow Mustard Seed
Sinapis alba
The milder of the cultivated mustards — a small golden seed that forms the base of American ballpark mustard and English pickle brines.
Other ways to filter
Try spices that start with R, or end with R. Or browse the full spices index.