Culinary and Spice Herbs
The Herbs (46)
Clove
Dried flower buds from Indonesia's Spice Islands whose eugenol-rich oil is studied for antibacterial activity, dental care and food preservation.
Read the deep dive →Shallot
Small clustered onion variety at the base of Southeast Asian pastes and French sauces, with polyphenol research but thin shallot-specific human data.
Read the deep dive →Turmeric
Golden rhizome of Curcuma longa whose curcumin is studied for inflammation, joints, digestion and blood sugar, though it absorbs poorly alone.
Read the deep dive →Pandan
Fragrant strap-shaped leaf that perfumes Southeast Asian rice and cakes; its blood-sugar reputation rests on lab work, not human trials.
Read the deep dive →Perilla
The shiso and tรญa tรด leaf of East Asian cooking, whose seed oil is exceptionally rich in omega-3 and studied in small allergy trials.
Read the deep dive →Stevia
Leaves of a South American shrub far sweeter than sugar, studied for blood glucose, blood pressure and appetite as a calorie-free sweetener.
Read the deep dive →Cinnamon
Bark of Cinnamomum trees, studied for antibacterial and blood-sugar effects; cassia carries far more liver-straining coumarin than Ceylon cinnamon.
Read the deep dive →Garlic
Pungent bulb used as food and medicine for millennia, best studied for heart health and allicin's antimicrobial action; it can interact with blood thinners.
Read the deep dive →Kaffir Lime
Hourglass-shaped citrus leaf that defines tom yum, traditionally used as a hair wash and insect repellent; medicinal evidence remains laboratory-only.
Read the deep dive →Sage
Silvery Mediterranean herb whose Latin name means 'to save', studied mainly for antibacterial activity in sore throats, mouth care and wounds.
Read the deep dive →Black Turmeric
A rare bluish-black Indian rhizome, Curcuma caesia, rich in folklore but with almost no human evidence and widely substituted or adulterated in commerce.
Read the deep dive →Star Anise
Eight-pointed Chinese spice behind phแป and five-spice; it does not treat influenza, and toxic Japanese star anise can contaminate it.
Read the deep dive →Black Seed
Small black seeds of Nigella sativa, used for thousands of years and studied chiefly through thymoquinone for immune, inflammatory and metabolic effects.
Read the deep dive →Oregano
Mediterranean mint-family herb whose carvacrol-rich oil is widely studied for antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity, mostly in laboratories.
Read the deep dive →Saffron
Hand-picked red stigmas of the saffron crocus, with unusually strong trial evidence for easing mild-to-moderate depression.
Read the deep dive →Fenugreek
Golden-brown seeds packed with fibre and saponins, traditionally used for blood-sugar control, inflammation and hormonal balance.
Read the deep dive →Fingerroot
A finger-shaped Thai and Indonesian ginger whose compound panduratin A blocked viruses in cell culture, though no human antiviral trial exists.
Read the deep dive →Thyme
Ancient Mediterranean herb whose thymol-rich oil is studied for antibacterial uses in coughs, mouth health and food preservation.
Read the deep dive →Rosemary
Fragrant evergreen 'herb of remembrance' studied for memory, mood and antioxidant protection, with traditional use for digestion and hair growth.
Read the deep dive →Tamarind
Sour pulp from a tropical tree's pods, used across world cuisines; its best-supported medicinal use is as a mild laxative.
Read the deep dive →Ginger
An aromatic rhizome prized in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, with its strongest evidence for nausea and further study for digestion and pain.
Read the deep dive →Peppermint
A menthol-rich hybrid mint whose enteric-coated oil has good evidence for irritable bowel syndrome, plus studied uses for indigestion and tension headache.
Read the deep dive →Cumin
Small elongated seeds central to traditional digestive medicine, also studied for metabolism and weight, and naturally rich in iron.
Read the deep dive →Vietnamese Balm
Lemony, camphor-scented Vietnamese herb-plate mint, traditionally used for summer heat, with only lab and animal research and a caution on concentrated oil.
Read the deep dive →Coriander Seeds
Round aromatic seeds, distinct from the green leaves, traditionally used as a gentle diuretic and for kidney, blood-pressure and skin support.
Read the deep dive →Zedoary
Bitter, pale 'white turmeric' rhizome traditionally avoided in pregnancy, with almost no human evidence and no substitute for ordinary turmeric.
Read the deep dive →Carum Ajwain
Tiny thymol-rich seeds traditionally used for gas, bloating, cramps and indigestion, with folk use for colds; the page advises cautious amounts.
Read the deep dive →Thai Basil
Purple-stemmed, anise-scented basil of phแป and green curry, distinct from holy basil, with an explanation of its estragole safety question.
Read the deep dive →Vietnamese Coriander
Rau rฤm, a coriander-scented knotweed central to Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes, with almost no clinical research of its own.
Read the deep dive →Sorrel
Lemony-sour leafy herb related to rhubarb and dock, enjoyed in soups and sauces; its high oxalate content is the key safety point.
Read the deep dive →Cardamom
Hand-picked seed pods of a ginger relative from India's Western Ghats, an old digestive remedy with a small trial record on blood pressure.
Read the deep dive →Kencur
Small camphor-scented Indonesian rhizome behind the jamu beras kencur tonic, studied only in animals for pain and inflammation.
Read the deep dive →Galangal
Pine-scented ginger cousin behind tom kha and Thai curry pastes, with rich lab research but only two small human trials on mental alertness.
Read the deep dive →Long Pepper
Dried fruiting spike of Piper longum, prized in Ayurveda for boosting absorption of other substances, which also makes drug interactions a real risk.
Read the deep dive →Black Pepper
Dried fruit of the Piper nigrum vine whose piperine is best known for boosting absorption of other compounds, notably curcumin, and for drug interactions.
Read the deep dive →Parsley
The overlooked garnish that is one of the most nutrient-dense herbs, rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and the flavone apigenin.
Read the deep dive →Lovage
A tall celery-flavoured garden herb traditionally used as a gentle water pill, with cautions about sun sensitivity and kidney or heart problems.
Read the deep dive →Savory
Peppery mint-family herb, summer and winter types, traditionally paired with beans to ease digestion, with a modest research record.
Read the deep dive →Fennel
Sweet, licorice-scented seeds chewed after meals for gas and bloating, also traditionally used for menstrual cramps through their plant estrogens.
Read the deep dive →Lemongrass
Citrus-scented tropical grass loved in Southeast Asian cooking and calming teas, with modest early signals for blood pressure and cholesterol.
Read the deep dive →Marjoram
Sweet, mild cousin of oregano long used as a digestive and calming tea, with limited human research including small PCOS studies.
Read the deep dive →Nutmeg
Seed of an Indonesian evergreen that also yields mace; a pinch flavours food, but larger amounts are genuinely toxic and cause hallucinations.
Read the deep dive →Curry Leaf
Glossy citrus-family leaf of Murraya koenigii from South India, unrelated to curry powder and studied mostly in animals for blood sugar and cholesterol.
Read the deep dive →Wild Ginger
Shampoo or pinecone ginger, whose flower gel is a traditional hair rinse; never confuse it with toxic Asarum, also sold as wild ginger.
Read the deep dive →Torch Ginger
Giant ginger whose pink flower bud is cooked as a Southeast Asian vegetable, with antioxidant findings only in laboratory tests.
Read the deep dive →Caraway
The crescent fruit that flavours rye bread and sauerkraut; its best evidence is peppermint–caraway oil capsules for chronic indigestion.
Read the deep dive →The herbs and spices that earn their place in the kitchen first and the medicine chest second. Several โ garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon โ carry real research behind them; the pages say where the cooking dose and the studied dose part company, because for most of these that gap is the whole story.
A herb is filed here by what it is traditionally used for, not by a claim that it works. Each herb page states its own evidence tier, its documented harms and its drug interactions — read those before the category name.