Sometimes you can find yourself ready to cook a recipe, but you’re missing a key spice or herb. Here’s a quick spice and herb substitutions chart to help you out. Some of these spices are exotic and hard to come by and you’re not sure you’ll use them enough to warrant purchasing them. This substitution list will help you with that also. Remember though, that when you’re substituting, the flavor won’t by exactly as expected in your recipe. You’ll have to adjust it to your own taste. I recommend you take a look at the website for Penzey’s Spices at www.penzeys.com. There are also mixes that can be helpful. This can guide you to create your own mixes and to understand the readily available mixes and their ingredients.
| Spice, Spice Mix or Herb | A Mix of and/or Substitutions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ajowan / Bishop's Weed | caraway; mix of thyme and cumin | India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt & Near East |
| Allspice | cinnamon; dash of cloves, nutmeg or mace | |
| Anise Seed | a few drops of anise extract; or fennel seeds | |
| Annato Powder | mix of turmeric and paprika; saffron | Mexican |
| Apple Pie Spice | cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice | |
| Asafoetida / Hing | fennel | Indian |
| Basil | oregano; thyme | |
| Berbere Spice Mix | dried red chilies, black peppercorns, ground ginger, cloves, coriander seeds, ajowan, allspice berries, green cardamom seeds, fenugreek, a cinnamon stick | Ethiopian |
| Black Pepper | grains of paradise | |
| Cardamom | ginger | |
| Caraway Seed | fennel seed; aniseed | Western Asia, Europe and North Africa |
| Cassia | cinnamon | China, Indian, Padang, Saigon |
| Cayenne Pepper | Sriracha (chili sauce with garlic); Tabasco sauce | |
| Celery Salt | salt and ground celery seed | |
| Chamushka/Nigella Seeds | cumin | Indian |
| Chat Masala | ground asafetida, mint, ginger, ajowan, cayenne, black salt, mango powder, cumin, dried pomegranate seeds | Indian |
| Chervil | tarragon; parsley | |
| Chili Powder | garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, allspice, salt, plus possible other spices | |
| Chives | green onions; leeks | |
| Cilantro | parsley with a splash or lime juice or zest | |
| Cinnamon | allspice or nutmeg, but use only about 1/3 or less | |
| Cloves | allspice; cinnamon; or nutmeg | |
| Coriander (ground) Seeds | these are Cilantro's seeds; no close substitute, so better to just omit | Mexican, Latino, Middle Eastern, Indian |
| Cream of Tartar | Not easily substituted. Use whenever called for because a substitute can definitely change your final product. | |
| Cumin | chili powder | |
| Curry Powder (basic) | coriander seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, fenugreek, ground ginger, turmeric | Varies greatly from Country to Country |
| Fagara | mint & lime; Sichuan pepper leaves | Asian |
| Fenugreek seed | curry powder | Indian, Punjabi |
| Filé (Gumbo) | ground sassafras leaves; also known as Gumbo File | Creole; FL, MS, AL, LA |
| Five Spice Powder | a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, ginger and Szechuan peppercorns | Chinese; Asian |
| Galangal | ginger root (but is only 1/2 as potent) | Asian, Thai, Vietnam, Laos |
| Garam Masala | a blend of coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, chamushka, caraway, cloves, ginger, nutmeg | Indian, Punjabi style |
| Ginger | cinnamon; nutmeg; allspice; or mace | |
| Grains of Paradise | black pepper and cardamom | |
| Herbs de Provence | a blend of rosemary, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, lavender | France |
| Horseradish | wasabi ; black radish | |
| Italian Seasoning | a blend of oregano, basil, rosemary, and red pepper flakes | |
| Jerk Seasoning | chilies, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, garlic, onion powder | Jamaica, Caribbean region |
| Juniper Berries | black pepper; crushed dried blueberries; a shot of gin | |
| Lavender | thyme; marjoram; a few drops of Parfait Amour | |
| Lemon Grass | fresh lemon zest; lemon balm; lemon verbena | Thailand, Vietnam, Southeast Asia |
| Mace | cinnamon; nutmeg; allspice; or ginger | |
| Marjoram | oregano | |
| Mint | basil; rosemary; or marjoram | |
| Mustard | wasabi power (1/2 the amount asked for); horseradish powder | |
| Nigella Seeds/Chamushka | cumin | |
| Nutmeg | cinnamon; ginger; or mace | |
| Old Bay Seasoning | a blend of celery salt, celery seed, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, black pepper, cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, cardamom, cinnamon and paprika | |
| Oregano | basil; thyme | |
| Orrisroot | raspberries | Middle East, North African, Moroccan |
| Panch Phoran | cumin seeds, fennel, mustard, fenugreek nigella | Indian |
| Paprika | turmeric/cayenne (60/40) | South America, Hungary, Spain |
| Parsley | cilantro; chervil | |
| Pickling Spice | black peppercorns, yellow mustard seeds, hot red pepper flakes, allspice berries, dill seeds, mace, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, whole cloves, ground ginger | |
| Poultry Seasoning | sage plus a blend of any to your taste: thyme, black pepper; rosemary, marjoram | |
| Pumpkin Pie Spice | a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice | |
| Quarte-Epices | black peppercorns, whole cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger | French (four spices) |
| Ras-el Hanout | peppercorns, cardamom, mace, galangal, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger turmeric, nigella, lavender, orrisroot, cassia, fennel seeds. Rosebuds | |
| Red Pepper Flakes | black pepper ; dash of bottled hot sauce | |
| Rosemary | tarragon; thyme; or savory | |
| Saffron Threads | turmeric; annato powder | Used mostly to mimic color |
| Sage | marjoram; rosemary; savory; or poultry seasoning | |
| Sansho | mix of black pepper and lemon peel | Japanese |
| Sansho 7 Spice Mix | sansho, seaweed, chili, orange peel, poppy seeds, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds | |
| Savory | marjoram; thyme; or sage | |
| Star Anise | 5 spice powder (especially in Asian dishes) | |
| Sumac | lemon zest | Middle East |
| Tarragon | chervil; ground fennel seed; or ground anise | |
| Thyme | basil; oregano; marjoram; or savory | |
| Turmeric | dash of saffron plus ground mustard powder; annato powder | |
| Zahtar | sumac, roasted sesame seeds, ground thyme | Middle Eastern |
Please like & share:
Comments are closed.