Spices that start with C

List of Spices That Start With C

1

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.

2

Caraway

Carum carvi

Dark, curved seeds with a bracing earthy bite — the signature flavor of rye bread, sauerkraut, and Eastern European cooking.

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

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.

5

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.

6

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.

7

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.

8

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.

9

Cumin

Cuminum cyminum

A ribbed brown seed whose warm, earthy aroma anchors the cooking of India, Mexico, the Middle East, and North Africa.

10

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.