Nine classic spice blends from around the world
Most cuisines have at least one blend that cooks reach for without thinking: a ready mix of spices that gives a dish its local character. The TasteAtlas infographic above brings nine of the best known together with their ingredients [1]. This table sums them up, with what each one is usually used for.
| Blend | Where it is from | Main flavours | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garam masala | India | Cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper | Curries, rogan josh, pulao, added near the end of cooking |
| Berbere | Ethiopia and Eritrea | Dried red chillies, fenugreek, ginger, coriander, cardamom | Red stews such as doro wat and misir wat, lentils, marinades |
| Baharat | Middle East, including Lebanon | Black pepper, paprika, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves | Meat, fish, soups, stews, dry rubs |
| Quatre épices | France | Pepper, cloves, nutmeg, ginger | Terrines, pâtés, sausages, stews |
| Ras el hanout | Morocco | Cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, paprika, mace | Tagines, couscous, roast meat |
| Shichimi togarashi | Japan | Chilli, sansho pepper, mandarin peel, sesame, nori | Sprinkled on soba noodles, soups and grilled fish |
| Jerk seasoning | Jamaica | Allspice, Scotch bonnet chillies, thyme, spring onion, garlic | Grilled chicken, pork and fish |
| Five spice | China | Star anise, fennel, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon, cloves | Roast and braised meat, stir-fries, marinades |
| Old Bay | USA (Baltimore) | Celery salt, paprika, red pepper, black pepper | Crab, prawns, chowder, chips |
Recipes for every one of these vary from family to family and brand to brand. Treat the ingredient lists as the common core, not a fixed formula.
Spice blends from India, the Middle East and North Africa
Garam masala
Garam masala is a warm, aromatic mix of ground spices from northern India. The name roughly means “hot spices”, in the sense of spices that warm the body rather than chilli heat [2]. A typical recipe uses cumin and coriander seed, black and green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, mace, nutmeg, star anise, black pepper and fennel seed [1]. There is no single authentic recipe; it changes from region to region [2]. It is usually stirred in near the end of cooking to keep its aroma, and goes into dishes such as rogan josh and pulao [2]. It isn’t the same as curry powder, which is normally yellow from turmeric; this garam masala has none.
Baharat
Baharat simply means “spices” in Arabic. It is used across the Middle East, and TasteAtlas places it in Lebanon [1][3]. It combines black pepper with coriander seed, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, cloves and cinnamon, giving a flavour that is smoky, sweet and gently spicy [1][3]. Use it on lamb, beef and fish, in soups and stews, or as a dry rub [3].
Ras el hanout
Ras el hanout is the signature blend of Morocco and the wider Maghreb. The name translates as “head of the shop”, meaning the best mix a spice merchant has to offer [4]. Commercial blends can contain dozens of spices; TasteAtlas notes mixes of up to 40, and some claim more than 100 [4]. A simpler home version uses cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, paprika, mace, nutmeg, peppercorns and turmeric [1]. It goes into tagines, couscous and slow-cooked meat.
African and Caribbean blends, berbere and jerk
Berbere
Berbere is the deep red chilli blend at the heart of Ethiopian and Eritrean cooking. Dried red chillies are the base, with fenugreek, coriander, ginger, cardamom, ajwain, cloves and black pepper among the usual additions [5]. TasteAtlas’s version also includes cinnamon, cumin, allspice, nutmeg and paprika [1] (its infographic misprints black pepper as “back pepper”). Ethiopian cooks often use korarima, a local cardamom, which is hard to find abroad [5].
Berbere as we know it could only develop after chillies arrived from the Americas, probably in the 17th century [5]. It gives the red stews called wat their colour and heat, including doro wat (chicken) and misir wat (lentils), and is usually cooked slowly with onions and fat rather than sprinkled on at the end [5]. Mixed with liquid it becomes awaze, a spicy paste served with meat [5].
Jerk seasoning
Jamaican jerk seasoning is built on allspice and Scotch bonnet chillies, with thyme, spring onions (scallions), garlic and ginger [6]. TasteAtlas’s recipe calls the allspice “pimento”, its Jamaican name, and adds cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and salt [1]. Jerk comes from cooking methods developed by Jamaica’s Maroon communities, who cooked meat slowly over smoky fires [6]. It is made two ways: as a dry rub of ground spices, or as a wet marinade of fresh chillies, spring onions, thyme, garlic, ginger and allspice with vinegar or lime juice [6]. Chicken and pork are the classics.
Spice blends from East Asia
Chinese five spice
Five spice powder (wu xiang fen) is a Chinese blend of star anise, fennel seed, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon and cloves [1][7]. In shops you will see it as five spice or Chinese five spice (the infographic calls it “5 Chinese spices”). It is strong, so a little goes a long way. Use it in marinades, stir-fries, soups and braises, and as a rub or glaze for pork, duck and seafood [7].
Shichimi togarashi
Shichimi togarashi is Japan’s seven-spice powder (“shichi” means seven). It dates back at least to the 17th century, when herb dealers in Edo, now Tokyo, made it [8]. The usual seven are ground chilli, sansho (Japanese) pepper, roasted mandarin peel, black or white sesame, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori seaweed [1]. It is a table condiment more than a cooking spice: sprinkle it on soba noodles, soups and grilled fish [8].
European and American blends
Quatre épices
Quatre épices means “four spices” in French: black or white pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger [1][9]. Pepper leads, with the other three adding warmth and a little sweetness. Some versions swap in allspice or cinnamon [9]. It is the classic seasoning for charcuterie (pâtés, terrines and sausages) and also goes into soups, stews and gratins [9].
Old Bay seasoning
Old Bay is a trademarked American blend from Baltimore, Maryland, now made by McCormick. Paprika, celery salt, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper are listed, and the rest of the recipe is believed to include bay leaves, dry mustard, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, mace, cardamom and allspice [10]. It is named after the Old Bay Line, a passenger steamship service on the Chesapeake Bay [10]. It is the standard seasoning for crab and prawns (shrimp) in the region, and also goes on chips, corn on the cob, popcorn and in Bloody Marys [10].
What spice blends from around the world have in common
Put the nine side by side and the same few warm spices keep coming up. Nutmeg appears in seven of the nine blends and cloves in seven, while cinnamon is in six [1]. Black pepper, coriander and cumin are also common. What gives each blend its identity is usually one or two local ingredients: chillies in berbere and jerk, Sichuan pepper and star anise in five spice, sesame, citrus peel and nori in shichimi togarashi, celery salt in Old Bay.
Pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon were among the most widely traded spices for centuries before chillies reached Africa and Asia from the Americas, which helps explain why they turn up in blends on every continent. If you have those four in the cupboard, you are most of the way to several of these blends.
How to make and store your own spice blends
Shop-bought blends are convenient, but making your own is cheaper and tastes noticeably fresher. A few practical points:
- Start with whole spices where you can. Toast seeds such as cumin, coriander and fennel in a dry pan for a minute or two until fragrant, let them cool, then grind.
- Grind finely in a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar. A coffee grinder kept only for spices works well.
- Make small batches, enough for a month or two. Ground spices lose their aroma much faster than whole ones.
- Store blends airtight in a jar, away from heat and light, and label them with the date.
- Adjust to taste. These are family recipes, not formulas, so change the balance of chilli, pepper and sweet spices until it suits you.
Questions about spice blends
What is the difference between a spice and a spice blend?
A spice is one ingredient, such as cumin or cloves. A spice blend mixes several, usually ground together in set proportions, so that one spoonful gives a dish a whole flavour profile, as garam masala or five spice do.
What is in Chinese five spice?
Star anise, fennel seed, Sichuan pepper, cinnamon and cloves [7].
Is garam masala the same as curry powder?
No. Garam masala is a north Indian mix of warm spices such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, usually added near the end of cooking [2]. Curry powder is normally yellow from turmeric and is used as an all-in-one base.
What does ras el hanout mean?
“Head of the shop”, meaning the finest blend a spice seller makes [4].
What spices are in jerk seasoning?
Allspice (called pimento in Jamaica) and Scotch bonnet chillies, with thyme, spring onions, garlic and ginger, and often cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and salt [1][6].
Sources
- TasteAtlas, Spice Blends of the World (the infographic shown above), and TasteAtlas spice blends and seasonings.
- TasteAtlas, Garam masala.
- TasteAtlas, Baharat.
- TasteAtlas, Ras el hanout.
- TasteAtlas, Berbere.
- TasteAtlas, Jerk seasoning.
- TasteAtlas, Wu xiang fen (five spice powder).
- TasteAtlas, Shichimi togarashi.
- TasteAtlas, Quatre épices.
- TasteAtlas, Old Bay seasoning.
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
