Belonging to the bay laurel family, leaves are dried for use. Remove bay leaves before serving a dish; they remain tough and their edges sharp, even after cooking.

Add to poached fish or poultry dishes as well as to stocks, soups, stews, casseroles and pasta sauces.

Small crescent-shaped seeds commonly found in rye bread.

Use to perk up pork, carrots and coleslaw, as well as egg and cheese dishes.

If seeds are in pods extract them with your fingers. The seeds are also sold ground, or you can grind your own in a coffee mill or by crushing them between two spoons.

Use cardamom pods whole in coffee or add ground cardamom to breads, cakes and biscuits.

Stronger tasting than fresh celery, these seeds have an intense celery flavor.

Complement beef, lamb, and vegetable stews, egg salads and barbecue sauces.

Similar to a combination of parsley and tarragon, chervil is available fresh or dried.

Excellent in roast meat, poultry, fish, vegetable and egg recipes as well as salads.

Made from hot red chilies, chilli powder may also contain cumin, oregano and garlic. The hotness varies, so use it with caution.

As well as main-course dishes, it adds zest to barbecue sauces, dips, spreads, salad dressings, bread and croutons

The long, slender tubular leaves of chives have a delicate onion flavor., More fragrant than sharp.

Sprinkle fresh snipped chives on any mildly seasoned egg, cheese, fish, poultry, vegetable or salad dish.

The sweet, reddish brown bark of the East Indian cassia tree, cinnamon is sold either ground or as rolled sticks.

Best suited to sweetened bean dishes, yellow vegetables, cooked fruits and baked desserts.

These dried buds, whole or ground, give a warm, pungent flavor to foods, both sweet and savory. Cloves are strong - use sparingly.

Glazed hams can be studded with whole cloves when baked. Use ground cloves in baking, fruit desserts and in spicy meat dishes.

Coriander is sold in bunches. It has a biting grassy taste and an almost piercing fragrance. Coriander seeds, whole or ground, have a different, lemony flavor. Coriander and coriander seeds are not interchangeable.

Add fresh coriander to soups and egg, cheese, fish, and poultry dishes. Add ground coriander or crushed coriander seeds to beef soups and stews and to curries.

Whole or ground, these seeds have a powerful musky aroma and flavor.

Complement meat and rice dishes, curries, Mexican dishes and potato casseroles.

A mixture of many spices, the different brands vary in color, flavor and hotness.

Use to season meats, poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables and cream soups and sauces.

The fresh fronds of dill have a slightly lemony, salty flavor. Dried dill is much more intense; use it sparingly.

Add to fish, lamb, poultry and vegetable dishes, as well as to salads, dressings and sauces.

Either ground or whole, these seeds have a sweet aniseed flavor.

Used in Malay and Indian curries, they can be added to fish, egg dishes and stews as well as to salads, dressings and sauces.

This fresh underground plant stem has a peppery, lemony flavor.; Ground ginger is less aromatic, more biting

Enhances meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetable stir fries as well as cakes, biscuits, pies, and breads.

The casing around nutmeg, mace is sold ground or as dried 'blades'. It tastes like nutmeg but is more delicate

Use in poultry, fish, vegetable and cheese dishes and in fruit desserts, custards, cakes, and biscuits.

Both the fresh and dried leaves of marjoram have a strong, savory flavor

Suitable for veal, lamb, and poultry dishes, green vegetables and tomatos

Although Mint comes in flavors such as pineapple and peppermint, spearmint is the variety most used.

Enhances green peas and new potatoes and is used fresh in salads, mint sauce and as a fragrant garnish

Available in whole seeds, but usually sold ground, nutmeg has a warm, sweet flavor.

Add to beef soups and stews, yellow vegetables, breads, cakes and fruit desserts.

Related to marjoram, the dried leaves of oregano are available crumbled or ground

Use in tomato dishes, pasta sauces and salad dressings

A red powder ground from dried red capsicum pods, paprika varies from nutty and sweet to hot

Can be used to garnish, or as a seasoning for goulashes, fish, poultry and potato dishes

A member of the carrot family, curly parsley has a mild taste; the flat-leaf, or Italian variety is more pungent

Parsley enhances meat, poultry, fish and vegetable dishes, and is good in omelets, stuffings and herb bread.

Tiny gray seeds with a nutty flavor. Use only fresh seeds; they turn rancid quickly.

A favorite in cakes, biscuits, breads, sweet pastries and salad dressings

An aromatic herb, rosemary has needle-like leaves that give off a rich, resinous scent whether fresh or dried

Roast meat, poultry, fish, green peas, carrots, stuffings, gravies and casseroles all benefit from its hearty flavor.

An expensive yellow spice, sold in thread or powder form, saffron has a strong but delicate flavor

Used sparingly, saffron enhances chicken, rice and seafood dishes.

The fresh, gound or dried grey-green leaves have a pungent lemony flavor, sage can be bitter if overused.

Sage is traditional in meat and poultry stuffings and is also delicious in cheese dishes.

Dried whole or ground leaves with a grassy aroma, savory has a light, fragrant flavor.

Add to egg, rice, vegetable and poultry dishes.

Pearly flat seeds with a mild nutty flavor.

Add to stir fries and bread; use as a garnish for chicken, fish, and vegetables.

Fresh or dried, this herb retains its mild licorice flavor well.

Enlivens fish and poultry dishes, especially with wine or cream

Fresh or dried, thyme has a pungent aroma similar to sage. Discard any stems.

Equally at home with meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese, vegetables and salad.

The powdered yellow root lends a peppery pungency to curry powder, mustards and pickles

Use this pungent spice in small quantities in curries, and in chicken and egg dishes