Herbs consist of fresh leaves and stems or crumbled or powdered dried leaves. Spices consist of many other parts of the plants—seeds, stems, roots, and berries, which have been dried—and can be whole, ground or powdered. Dried herbs should be purchased only in the amount that can be used within two or three months, and should be stored away from heat. Herbs that have a musty or “flat” aroma should be discarded. For best results in your cooking, always try to find fresh leaves. Whole spices retain their flavor longer than ground, although both will retain their potency for about six months if they are properly stored. They should be kept in sealed containers in a cool, dry spot, away from extreme heat and direct light. For optimum flavor, buy whole spices and grind them as close as possible to the time you will be using them. Dry-cooking for 2-3 minutes will heighten their flavor. Put seeds in a wok or sauté pan and toss vigorously over high heat. You do not need to add any oil.

Allspice

General Description
Allspice is the dried, unripe berry of Pimenta dioica, an evergreen tree in the myrtle family. After drying, the berries are small, dark brown balls just a little larger than peppercorns.
Taste and Aroma
Allspice is pungent and fragrant. It is not a blend of "
all spices,"
but its taste and aroma remind many people of a mix of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.



Anise seedAnise Seed

General Description
Anise Seed is a gray brown oval seed from Pimpinella anisum, a plant in the parsley family. It is related to caraway, dill, cumin, and fennel.
Taste and Aroma
Anise Seeds smell and taste like licorice.

Arrowroot

General Description
Arrowroot is a white powder extracted from the root of a West Indian plant, Marantha arundinacea. It looks and feels like cornstarch.
Taste and Aroma
Arrowroot has no flavor.

Basil

General Description
Basil is a bright green, leafy plant, Ocimum basilicum, which is in the mint family.
Taste and Aroma
Basil has a sweet, herbal bouquet.


Bay Leaves

General Description
Bay Leaves come from the sweet bay or laurel tree, known botanically as Laurus nobilis. The elliptical leaves of both trees are green, glossy, and grow up to 3 inches long.
Taste and Aroma
Bay Leaves are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste.

Caraway

General Description
Caraway Seed is actually the fruit of a biennial herb in the parsley family, known as Carum carvi. The seed is about 1/5inch long and tapered at the ends. The hard seed shells have five pale ridges.
Taste and Aroma
Caraway Seed has a pungent aroma and a distinctly sweet but tangy flavor.


Cardamom

General Description
Cardamom is the ground seed of a tropical fruit in the ginger family known as Elettaria cardamomum. The seeds are found in oval shaped fruit pods that are between 1/4 and 1inch long.
Taste and Aroma
Cardamom has an intense, pungent, sweet flavor.

Cayenne Pepper

General Description
Cayenne Pepper is made from the dried pods of pungent chili peppers. This fiery spice adds flair to dishes from Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.
Taste and Aroma
Cayenne Pepper has little aroma, but it is extremely hot to taste.

Celery Seed

General Description
Celery Seed is the dried fruit of Apium graviolens, a biennial in the parsley family. This is the same genus and species used for growing table celery, although there are particular varieties that are used for the vegetable. The seeds are very small (about 1/16th of an inch), ovoid and light brown.
Taste and Aroma
Celery Seed tastes similar to table celery, with its warm, slightly bitter, aromatic flavor.


Chervil

General Description
Chervil is a light green, lacey, fernlike leaf of Annthriscus cerefolium, a lowgrowing member of the parsley family.
Taste and Aroma
The leaves of this aromatic and sweet herb bear a slight resemblance to parsley;
however, the flavor is more distinctive with a trace of anise.

Chives

General Description
Chives are the bright green, long, hollow, thin leaves of Allium schoenoprasum, an onion like member of the lily family.
Taste and Aroma
Chives have a mild, onion like flavor, with a hint of garlic.

Cilantro

General Description
Cilantro is the leaf of the young coriander plant, Coriandrum sativum, an herb in the parsley family, similar to anise.
Taste and Aroma
Cilantro's taste is a fragrant mix of parsley and citrus.

Cinnamon

General Description
Cinnamon is the dried bark of various laurel trees in the cinnamomun family. One of the more common trees from which Cinnamon is derived is the cassia. Ground cinnamon is perhaps the most common baking spice. Cinnamon sticks are made from long pieces of bark that are rolled, pressed, and dried.
Taste and Aroma
Cinnamon has a sweet, woody fragrance in both ground and stick forms.


Cloves

General Description
Cloves are the rich, brown, dried, unopened flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree in the myrtle family. The name comes from the French "
clou"
meaning nail.
Taste and Aroma
Cloves are strong, pungent, and sweet.

Coriander

General Description
Coriander is the seed of Coriandrum sativum, a plant in the parsley family. The seed is globular and almost round, brown to yellow red, and 1/5 inch in diameter with alternating straight and wavy ridges.
Taste and Aroma
Coriander has a mild, distinctive
taste similar to a blend of lemon and sage.

Cream of Tartar

General Description
Cream of Tartar is a natural, pure ingredient left behind after grape juice has fermented to wine.
Taste and Aroma
Cream of Tartar has no aroma and has an acidic flavor.

Cumin

General Description
Cumin (pronounced "
comein"
) is the pale green seed of Cuminum cyminum, a small herb in the parsley family. The seed is uniformly elliptical and deeply furrowed.
Taste and Aroma
Cumin has a distinctive, slightly bitter yet warm flavor.


Curry Powder

General Description
Curry Powder is a blend of many spices and is used widely in savory dishes throughout India and Southeast Asia.


Dill

General Description
Dill is a tall, feathery annual, Anethum graveolens, in the parsley family. Both Dill Seed and Weed (dried leaves) come from the same plant.
Taste and Aroma
The Dill Seed flavor is clean, pungent, and reminiscent of caraway. Dill Weed has a similar but mellower and fresher flavor.

Fennel Seed

General Description
Fennel Seed is the oval, green or yellowish brown dried fruit of Foeniculum vulgare, a member of the parsley family.
Taste and Aroma
Fennel has an anise like flavor but is more aromatic, sweeter and less pungent.

Garlic

General Description
Garlic is the dried root of Allium sativum, a member of the lily family. Garlic grows in a bulb that consists of a number of cloves. Each clove is protected by a layer of skin, but all are held together in one larger unit by additional layers of skin.
Taste and Aroma
Garlic has a distinctive odor and flavor.

Ginger

General Description
Ginger is a flavoring from a tuberous root of Zingiber officinale, a plantin the Ginger family. The root is often dried and ground or "
crystallized"
with sugar.
Taste and Aroma
Ginger has a slightly biting and hot note. Its aroma is rich, sweet, warm, and woody.


Horseradish

General Description
Horseradish is a hot, pungent condiment made from a plant in the mustard family. The powdered form of Horseradish is made by grinding the root and drying in a gentle heat. Horseradish vinegar is the root combined with shallots, onions, garlic, and red pepper in vinegar.
Taste and Aroma
Hot and pungent

Juniper Berries

General Description
Juniper Berries come from the juniper shrub, an evergreen in the genus juniperus, which grows in the Northern Hemisphere.
Taste and Aroma
Juniper Berries have a bittersweet aroma.


Mace

General Description
The nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is special in that it produces two separate spices, nutmeg and Mace. Mace is the ground outer covering (aril) of the nutmeg seed. A piece of unground Mace is called a blade.
Taste and Aroma
Mace has a flavor and aroma similar to nutmeg, with slightly more pungency.

Marjoram

General Description
Marjoram is the gray/green leaf of Majorana hortensis, a low growing member of the mint family. It is often mistaken for oregano, although they are not the same plant.
Taste and Aroma
Marjoram has a delicate, sweet, pleasant flavor with a slightly bitter undertone.


Mint

General Description
Mint is the dried leaf of a perennial herb. There are two important species, Mentha spicata L. (spearmint) and Mentha piperita L. (peppermint).
Taste and Aroma
Mint is strong and sweet with a tangy flavor and a cool after taste.


Mustard Seed

General Description
Mustard Seed comes from two large shrubs, Brassica juncea (brown mustard) and Brassica hirta (white mustard), native to Asia. Both plants produce bright yellow flowers that contain small round seeds;
brown mustard is more pungent than white.
Taste and Aroma
Powdered Mustard has no aroma when dry, but a hot flavor is released when it is mixed with water.

Nutmeg

General Description
Nutmeg is the seed of Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree native to the Molucca Islands. Interestingly, the tree produces both Nutmeg and mace, and grows up to 60 feet tall. Although the tree takes seven years to bear fruit, it may produce until the 90th year. Both spices come from the tree’s fruit, which splits into a scarlet outer membrane, mace, and an inner brown seed, Nutmeg.
Taste and Aroma
Nutmeg is more pungent and sweeter than mace.


Onion

General Description
The familiar and popular onion is a bulb of Allium cepa, a low growing plant. Botanists classify it in either the lily family or the amaryllis family.
Taste and Aroma
Fresh onions are pungent and have a sharp bite. Cooked onions lose this heat and develop a rich sweetness.

Oregano

General Description
Mediterranean Oregano is the dried leaf of Origanum vulgare L., a perennial herb in the mint family. Mexican Oregano is the dried leaf of one of several plants of the Lippia genus.
Taste and Aroma
Oregano has a pungent odor and flavor. Mexican Oregano is a bit stronger than Mediterranean Oregano.

Paprika

General Description
Paprika is a spice which comes from a mild red pepper in the family Capsicum annum. It is a brilliant red powder and often used as a garnish.
Taste and Aroma
Paprika ranges from sweet and mild to hot. American Paprika is the blandest, while Hungarian Paprika has the greatest range of flavor.

Parsley

General Description
Parsley is the dried leaf of Petroselinum crispum, a biennial in the parsley family.
Taste and Aroma
Parsley has a light, fresh scent and flavor.


Pepper

General Description
Pepper is the dried berry of Piper nigrum. This vine which can grow up to ten feet tall is indigenous to India and Asia. Pepper is actually berries that are picked about nine months after flowering. (This is true pepper, and should not be confused with paprika, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, red pepper, and bell pepper, which are fruits from the capsicum family.) Black Pepper, the spiciest, is berries that are picked unripe. The berries used for White Pepper are ripened on the vine and soaked so that their outer hulls are easily removed. Green Peppercorns are immature berries which are freeze dried or packed in brine for preservation.
Taste and Aroma
Black Pepper has a sharp, pungent aroma and flavor. White Pepper is hotter, less subtle and mildly fermented. Green Peppercorn is milder in flavor and has a fresh taste.

Poppy Seeds

General Description
Poppy Seeds are tiny nutty tasting, blue gray seeds inside capsules on Papaver somniferum, a yellowish brown opium plant indigenous to the Mediterranean.
Taste and Aroma
Poppy Seeds have a slightly nutty aroma and taste.


Red Pepper

General Description
Red Pepper is made from the ground fruit of a plant in the Capsicum family. The fruits, commonly known as "
chilies"
or "
chili peppers,"
are fiery red or orange pods which rarely grow to more than 4 inches in length. The ground product ranges from orange red, to deep, dark red. According to the American Spice Trade Association, "
Red Pepper"
is the preferred name for all hot red pepper spices. Cayenne Pepper is another name for the same type of product. Some manufacturers use the term Cayenne Pepper to refer to a hotter version of Red Pepper.
Taste and Aroma
Red pepper is a pungent, hot powder with a strong bite.

Rosemary

General Description
Rosemary is an herb in the mint family. It is a small evergreen shrub, Rosmarinus officinalis, whose 1inch leaves resemble curved pine needles.
Taste and Aroma
Rosemary has a tea like aroma and a piney flavor.

Saffron

General Description
Saffron is the stigma of Crocus sativus, a flowering plant in the crocus family. Saffron, the world's most expensive spice, is costly because more than 225,000 stigmas must be hand picked to produce one pound. In its pure form, saffron is a mass of compressed, threadlike, dark orange strands.
Taste and Aroma
Saffron has a spicy, pungent, and bitter flavor with a sharp and penetrating odor.


Sage

General Description
Sage is an herb from an evergreen shrub, Salvia officinalis, in the mint family. Its long, grayish green leaves take on a velvety, cotton like texture when rubbed (meaning ground lightly and passed through a coarse sieve).
Taste and Aroma
Sage has a fragrant aroma and an astringent but warm flavor.


Sesame Seed

General Description
Sesame Seed is the seed of an annual herb, Sesamum indicum, which grows well in hot climates. Sesame Seed is the most commonly produced seed. The yellowish, red, or black seeds are used in bread products, stir-fries, Jewish and Chinese confectionaries, and Middle Eastern dishes.
Taste and Aroma
Sesame Seeds have a nut-like, mild flavor.

Summer Savory

General Description
Summer Savory (or Chubritsa in Bulgarian) is an annual herb, Satureja hotenis, belonging to the mint family. Its dark-green, narrow leaves are dried and crushed.
Taste and Aroma
Summer Savory has a clean, piney fragrance and peppery flavor.

Tarragon

General Description
Tarragon is a small, shrubby herb, Artemisia dracunculus, in the sunflower family. Two species are cultivated, Russian and French. Leaves of the French variety are glossier and more pungent. Most commercial Tarragon comes from dried leaves of the French Tarragon plant.
Taste and Aroma
Tarragon has a slightly bittersweet flavor and an aroma similar to anise.

Thyme

General Description
Thyme is the leaf of a low-growing shrub in the mint family called Thymus vulgaris. Its tiny grayish-green leaves rarely are greater than one-fourth inch long. For use as a condiment, Thyme leaves are dried then chopped, or ground.
Taste and Aroma
Thyme has a subtle, dry aroma and a slightly minty flavor.

Turmeric

General Description
Turmeric comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a leafy plant in the ginger family. The root, or rhizome, has a tough brown skin and bright orange flesh. Ground Turmeric comes from fingers which extend from the root. It is boiled or steamed and then dried, and ground.
Taste and Aroma
Turmeric is mildly aromatic and has scents of orange or ginger. It has a pungent, bitter flavor.

Vanilla

General Description
Vanilla Beans are the long, greenish-yellow seed pods of the tropical orchid plant, Vanilla planifolia. Before the plant flowers, the pods are picked, unripe, and cured until they're dark brown. The process takes up to six months. To obtain Pure Vanilla Extract, cured Vanilla Beans are steeped in alcohol. According to law, Pure Vanilla Extract must be 35 percent alcohol by volume.
Taste and Aroma
Vanilla Beans have a sweet, perfumed aroma with a woody or smoky flavor. Pure Vanilla Extract has a similar aroma.

Herbs and spice English-Bulgarian Common names

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