(Pimpinella anisum)

ISO 7386:1984 Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum Linnaeus)

Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum Linnaeus) has long been popular because of its many uses: culinary, household and cosmetic amongst others. It is a flowering plant native to the eastern Mediterranean region and South-West Asia. It is the fruit (seed) or the anise oil that is of main comersial interest.

(Piper Nigrum)

ISO 959-1:1998 Pepper (Piper nigrum L.), whole or ground - Specification Part 1: Black pepper
ISO 959-2:1998 Pepper (Piper nigrum L.), whole or ground - Specification Part 2: White pepper

Black pepper, (P. nigrum), also known as the king of spices, belongs to the family Piperaceae, is cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried, and used as a spice and seasoning. Black pepper has multiple uses in the processed food industry, in the kitchen, in perfumery, traditional medicine and even in beauty care. Pepper is valued for its pungency and flavour, which is attributed by the alkaloid piperine and the volatile oil.

Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens

ISO 7540:2020 Ground sweet and hot paprika (Capsicum annuum L. and Capsicum frutescens L.)
ISO 972:1997 Chillies and capsicums, whole or ground (powdered)

Capsicum are widley grown for their fruit that may be eaten raw, cooked and used as dried powder. Many different varieties of the genus Capsicum exist and the nomenclature has a rather national naming structure spread over the world i e the name Paprika can have a different meaning in different countries. Capsicum is importent in trade and is one of the first spices used by human. Capsicum are native to Mexico and Central America but are grown withspread all over the world.

(Carum carvi)

 ISO 5561:1990 Black Caraway and Blond Caraway (Carum carvi Linnaeus),whole

Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (Carum carvi), is a biennial plant in the parsley family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa and cultivated since ancient times. Caraway has a distinctive aroma reminiscent of anise and a warm, slightly sharp taste.

(Elettaria Cardamomum)

ISO 882-1:1993 Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (Linnaeus) Maton var. minuscula Burkill) — Specification — Part 1: Whole capsules
ISO 882-2:1993 Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (Linnaeus) Maton var. minuscula Burkill) — Specification — Part 2: Seeds

Small cardamom (green cardamom), known as the ‘queen of spices’, belongs to the family of ginger and turmeric ( Zingiberaceae), is a rich spice obtained from the seeds of a perennial plant, Elettaria cardamomum Maton. It is one of the highly prized spices of the world and is the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla.
There is also Black cardamom or large cardamom (Amonum subulatum), Though the fruits are clearly identifiable by their larger size and differences in shapes compared with small cardamom, the seeds are of nearly the same size as those of true cardamom but has a different flavour. Similar use as green cardamom except for sweet dishes. Mainly used in Asia. Black cardamom is covered in ISO 10622:1997

(Apium graveolens)

ISO 6574:1986 Celery seed (Apium graveolens Linnaeus)

Celery, Apium graveolens is a biennial plant that occurs around the globe. Celery grows wild in Europe, the Mediterranean region and in Asia. It was probably first grown as a medicinal plant, later for the leaves and stem as flavouring

(Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

ISO 6539:2014 Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume)

Cinnamon and its close relative, cassia, are among the earliest, most popular spices used by mankind. The cinnamon of commerce is the dried inner bark of the tree, C. verum or Cinnamomum zeylanicum. While cinnamon and cassia are not precisely the same, they are closely related and the bark of the two is simiar. The true cinnamon, Cinnamomum verum syn. C. zeylanicum, is native of Sri Lanka and South India. Cassia is covered by ISO 6538:1997

(Syzygium aromaticum)

ISO 2254:2004 Cloves, whole and ground (powdered)

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of an evergreen tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. Cloves were important in the earliest spice trade and are believed to be indigenous to the Moluccas, or Spice Islands, of Indonesia. Strong of aroma and hot and pungent in taste cloves are used to flavor a wide variety of foods.

(Cuminum cyminum)

ISO 6465:2009 Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) 

Cumin is the dried seed like fruit of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a member of the parsley family. Native to the Mediterranean region, also cultivated in India, China, and Mexico and is used to flavour a variety of foods.

(Foeniculum vulgare)

ISO 7927-1:2023 Fennel seed, whole or ground - Part 1: Bitter fennel seed specification (Foeniculum vulgare P. Miller var. vulgare)
ISO 7927-2:2023 Fennel seed, whole or ground - Part 2: Sweet fennel seed specification (Foeniculum vulgare var. panmorium)

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) Is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region but is widely cultivated, both in its native habitat and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly flavoured leaves and seeds.

(Trigonella foenum-graecum)

ISO 6575:1982 Fenugreek, whole or ground (powdered)

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) fragrant herb of the pea family Fabaceae, its dried flavourful seeds used as a spice. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent, and have been used as a culinary ingredient since ancient times.

(Allium sativum)

ISO 5560:1997 Dehydrated garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is the second most widely cultivated Allium after onion. Garlic is in demand almost all the year round all over the world both in fresh and dehydrated form. Today, garlic is used for its flavour, aroma and taste being prepared domestically or forming a raw material for a variety of food manufacturing processes (dehydration and pickling). Alliums have been cultivated for thousands of years for therapeutic and prophylactic properties, religious significance, flavour and taste. Garlic is thought to have originally come from Central Asia and Southern Europe, especially the Mediterranean region.

(Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

ISO 1003:2008 Ginger

Ginger, the rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe, is a widely used spice. It is used fresh, preserved or in dried form. India and China are the world’s largest producers and exporters of ginger but also Jamaican, Indian and West Africa are producing countries. The aroma and flavour of fresh ginger will be different from dry ginger as some of the volatile oils will be lost by evaporation during drying.

(Myristica fragrans)

ISO 6577:2002 Nutmeg, whole or broken, and mace, whole or in pieces

(Crocus sativus)

ISO 3632-1:2010 Saffron

Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, is derived from the dry stigmata of the saffron crocus Crocus sativus L. Major saffron cultivating countries for trade are Spain, Iran, Greece, India, China and Morocco. Saffron is hand-harvested, still the only method for harvesting the crop.

(Illicium verum)

ISO 5562:1983 Star anise

Star anise, is a medium-sized evergreen tree native to northeast Vietnam and southwest China. The spice that closely resembles anise in flavor is obtained from the star-shaped pericarps of the fruit of I. verum. The stars are available whole, or ground. Apart from its use in sweetmeats and confectionery, it contributes to meat and poultry dishes. The essential oil of star anise fruits is used in the confectionary trade to flavour liquorice and other sweets and in the baking trade to flavour cakes, cookies and biscuits. Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is not edible because it is highly toxic and can cause neurological damage.

(Curcuma longa)

ISO 5562:1983 Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f.)

Turmeric, (Curcuma longa Linnaeus), is a perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The rhizomes are used fresh or boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder. Turmeric is used for vegetable, meat and soup-like dishes, used widely as a food colourant and is one of the principal ingredients in curry powder. There have also been an high interest in turmeric due to its medicinal properties. Turmeric is native to southern India and Indonesia, and is mainly grown in Asia.