Herbs & Spices

At medieval weddings in Germany, the bride and groom carried cumin, amongst other spices, in their pockets to secure themselves against infidelity. Generally, though, cumin is added to dishes all over the world for its warm, earthy aroma and flavour: a little bitter, even nutty, similar to caraway yet less intense. Also known as: Cummin, jeera

Also known as 'mountain pepper', this fruit is picked from female wild shrubs on the mountain tops of northern Tasmania. Pepperberries are dark-blue to black in colour and succulent with a hot, crunchy seed cluster at their centre. Their floral, fruity bouquet is enlivened by a beguiling purplish-pink hue when crushed. An excellent spice for grinding with an intense bite that builds after consumption.

Although lavender flowers are not widely used in culinary circles, their pleasant aroma and corresponding soft, sweet taste are well worth exploring. Find them in Herbes de Provence and Ras el Hanout blends, but on their own, use in biscuits, cakes and general sweet baking. In northern Africa, lavender flower is also added to meat dishes.

Pyramid Flake Salt is especially valued for its pure qualities and unique, rich flavour. Harvested near Victoria's Pyramid Hill, flake salt's delightful bite adds character to cooking and salads. When used as a finishing salt, flake salt reveals a unique sharper taste to the palate and so less salt is required.

This chilli's deep red flesh has a green-tea flavour with berry overtones. Used in salsa for tamales, the guajillo chilli is also great in pastes, butter and meat rubs - try it with chicken. These whole dried pods rehydrate in warm water for a rounder, more complex sauce, or can be toasted and ground fresh for a punchier powder.

Heat Level: 4/10

The signature spice of the famous chai tea, cardamom is sweet and aromatic with camphoric tones. This bright, complex flavour brings sophistication to cakes, biscuits, puddings and scrolls; curries and stews; rice dishes; stewed and preserved fruits; red meats and milky beverages. This whole pod is picked while still immature, ideal for infusing whole into simmering curries and rice, or splitting open to release the seeds and their aromatic oils.

Nigella or kalonji is the botanical name of the plant evocatively known as 'love-in-a-mist'. These small black seeds do not have a strong aroma; the taste is nutty, earthy and slightly bitter, with a crunchy texture. In India, whole seeds are dry roasted or fried and spread over vegetarian dishes and salads.

Rosemary has needle-like leaves and a pine-like flavour with bitter notes. This fragrant evergreen herb complements a wide variety of foods, most notably lamb. The dried leaves need a little time to soften and release their flavour, so they work best added early in soups, stews and braises.

From the same pepper vine as black and green peppercorns, white pepper is picked when the fruit is nearing maturity then soaked in a clear, running stream for up to two weeks. The outer pericarp is removed, leaving the white inner fruit. White pepper is hotter than black and has an earthy, musty aroma.

Think back to that pepper tree in your schoolyard: this little berry is from a very close relative, yet is not the true pepper we generally consume alongside its companion, salt. Pink Schinus Pepper carries less heat, yet more camphoric and sweet characteristics than normal pepper. It is used widely in Mediterranean fish dishes and, much like juniper berries, matches well with game meats. Pink Schinus pepper also belongs to the same botanical family as the cashew tree. Also known as: Schinus Pepper

Bearing the heady fragrance of liquorice, star anise is used in the East as aniseed is in the West. It is one of the ingredients in Chinese five spice, and Chinese stocks and soups very often contain star anise, as do many other traditional Chinese dishes. With a deeper perfume and sweetness than fennel or aniseed, the flavour of star anise pairs exceptionally well with pork and duck. In Europe, star anise is added to fruit compotes and jams, as well as anisette liqueurs.

Mild seedless chilli is made by deseeding the fruit of long chilli to remove some of the heat, then chopping to form a crushed flake. Excellent in pasta, risotto and other dishes where you want visual appeal and just a friendly suggestion of heat. Its bright colour lifts barbecue seafood marinades and poultry dishes. Seedless chilli also sticks to food better than its seeded counterpart.

Heat Level: 6/10

Stick your nose into a sack of cloves and you will understand why ancient mariners claimed to smell the approach of the clove islands while still far out to sea. A terrific and much-used pungent addition to Christmas ham and baked goods, stewed and pickled fruit and vegetables, cakes, pastries and biscuits, German Glühwein, and many North African spice blends. This ground clove is milled fine and ready to use straight from the jar, an ideal option where whole cloves would be too strong or difficult to remove.

The most sought-after and heavily traded spice in history, pepper lives up to its expectations by transforming blandness into bite in almost every imaginable dish. Add peppercorn, whole or ground, to meats, fish and vegetables, as well as salads, rice and sandwiches. Even sweet dishes such as Indian chai enjoy a subtle background kick from a small amount of freshly ground pepper. Australian Black Peppercorn is full-bodied, rich and fragrant.

Juniper berry is in fact not a true berry but a cone. Its outer layers do not contain much flavour, so grinding or crushing maximises the release of its fresh green citrus flavours. Juniper imparts a sharp taste to meat dishes, especially wild birds and game meats.

With three different harvests from the pepper vine, Peppermill Trio combines the sharp, sweet and earthy flavours of white, black and green pepper. This blend courts the senses with its balance of colours and herbaceous heat. Peppermill Trio is at its best when freshly ground and the aromas from the volatile oils are released and fill the air.