Top 18 Most Used Fall Spices As Per Ayurveda

Imagine walking into a home emitting smells of sweet and warming fall spices on a crisp cool autumn days.

There is a reason why autumn spices are set apart from regular cooking spices. The change of weather from warm summer days to cooler autumn followed by cold winter have affects on your body composition and also mental health.

Aromatic fall flavours added to dishes positively impacts our health and makes the weather transition more festive and joyful.

This post lists the best fall spices used in cooking, baking and also for home decorations for you to enjoy this season.

Why To Include Fall Spices In Diet ?

Fall is the time of transition associated with erratic, cool, windy and dry weather conditions. As per Ayurveda, the science of life, our bodies need to be aligned with the environmental changes to help us cope with imbalances and maintain good health.

Our body is composed of natural bio-energy known as doshas in Ayurveda. Each of the 3 doshas, Kapha, Vata and Pitta correlates to each season.

Vata is the strongest in fall and winter season. It represents air and space and is characterised with restlessness, a feeling of emptiness, irregularity and cold.

By making subtle changes to your diet and including foods that counter the effect of the environmental changes brings about a balance in your bodies strengthening the immunity.

Adding nourishing and warming fall spices, herbs and foods into our daily diet helps to sooth vata.

What Are Fall Flavours ?

During autumn it is best to eat foods that are slightly high in natural oils, fat and proteins. Adding warm stimulating spices to the dishes and serving them warm not only helps to balance the doshas but also uplift your mood.

Typical fall flavours are sweet, woody, earthy and aromatic like cinnamon, cloves, maple syrup, pumpkin, apples, melted butter.

Foods that bring comfort.

These flavours trigger the freshness of pine trees and musky heat of burning fire logs.

Apart from these fall spices list below, there are some winter spices that you can also add to your collection.

List Of Best Fall Seasonings

There is a pattern of flavour when it comes to fall spices. They all have a sweet undertone, which also makes them good to be used as dessert spices.

Below are the aromatic spices list which is a mix of blends, herbs and individual spices.

1. Cinnamon

Everything that denotes autumn colours, fall and festivities, cinnamon is the quintessential fall spice used in perhaps every cuisine. There are different types of cinnamon used for cooking, the most popular being the Ceylon cinnamon. Woody and earthy with mild sweet flavour.

How to use it – You can use cinnamon for baking as well as cooking both savoury and sweet dishes. Add to curries, soups, stew as whole stick or in ground form. You can also add cinnamon powder to cookies, cakes, breakfast porridge and many other dishes. Cinnamon is also used to make home decors and scents.

2. All spice

One spice with the flavours of many others. All spice has a flavour mix of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg all at once. The best type of all spice is the Jamaican variety with rich, warm flavours.

How to use it – This spice goes very well in dishes and stews made with root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, swede and also pumpkin and squash. Add it to pork and poultry dishes, cakes, cookies, breads and desserts.

3. Nutmeg

Nutmeg is an intriguing spice that can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes in multiple ways. It lends a nutty and slightly sweet, warm aroma and flavor to the dish it is added to.

How to use it –  Apart from adding nutmeg powder to rich gravy based dishes, you can also use it in baked goods, puddings, sauces, veggies.

4. Mace

A lesser known sister spice of nutmeg, mace has been used for centuries due to its aromatic, floral flavour. Mace is the lattice covering the nutmeg spice. It has a sweet, peppery flavour with the spiciness similar to cinnamon or star anise.

How to use it – Mace has a complex flavour very versatile to use in cooking both savoury and sweet dishes.

Add mace flower in rice dishes, pulses, legumes for added aroma. You can also use mace powder in curries, pies, cookies, cakes and drinks.

5. Cloves

Cloves are extensively used in Asian and in few European cuisines such as France and Germany. It is a strong intense spice that is slightly pungent combined with a bitter, sweet astringent flavour.

How to use it – Cloves are mainly used whole in broths and soups. You can also use cloves for making gravies and stews. The intense aroma of the spice makes it less suitable for desserts but you can add few whole cloves to drinks.

6. Cardamom

Green cardamom is a warm aromatic spice used in many different ways in cooking. It is citrusy and fresh and can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes.

How to use it – You can use both cardamom pods as well as cardamom powder. Add it to curries and stews. Also sprinkle cardamom powder in your cakes, cookies, hot and cold drinks like tea, lattes and smoothies.

7. Ginger

Fresh and pungent you can never go wrong with ginger as a spice or as a fresh herb. Loaded with health benefits, ginger adds heaps of flavour to any dish it is added to.

How to use it – The fresh sharp taste of ginger makes it a versatile spice for both savoury and sweet dishes. It is the key ingredient to make ginger bread. You can use ginger powder or grate fresh ginger into your cookie dough, cakes, smoothies, juices, drinks and teas. Add ginger in a variety of savoury dish such as stews, stir fries, curries, pies, marinades .

8. Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin spice is synonymous to the word fall or Autumn. A blend of other autumn spices listed here, this is a quintessential fall flavour everyone associates autumn and winter with. Warm, aromatic, sweet and slightly pungent you can use pumpkin spice in a number of ways.

How to use it – Popularly used for baking cookies, cakes and pies you can also use the pumpkin spice in warm drinks, porridge, stews and soups.

9. Star Anise

Another spice although not as popular as the others is the star anise. Robust, woody and fragrant this spice has all the qualities of a typical autumn spice although the use is much less compared to others. Do not confuse star anise with regular anise. They are two different spices with the flavours slightly overlapping.

How to use it – Be careful when using star anise in food. The strong smell may overpower the dish and make it bitter. You can add one flower to broths, soups, stews. You can also use them to infuse flavoured drinks.

10. Mulling Spice

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As the same suggests mulling spice is used to mull or infuse floral, sweet, citrusy flavour to warm wine, cider and other juices. It is a mix of some warm spices from this list of autumn spices.

How to use it – Use the spices in drinks and broths. You can also use the mulling spice as a natural home fragrance.

11. Rosemary

Rosemary is an aromatic herb with many health benefits and culinary uses. It is piney, woody with a slight hint citrus. Both dried and fresh rosemary is used for cooking.

How to use it – The herb is very popular to add flavour to meat such as lamb, beef, pork and even chicken. You can add it to fish, stews, broths or to dishes that require brewing or slow cooking.

12. Sage

Sage is another popular herb used to make turkey roast for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has a minty, earthy taste and a unique flavour of its own. You should not overdue sage in a dish and is best paired with other spices or herbs for a balanced taste.

How to use it – Sage is best used in dishes that require long braising time such as roasts, stews and even soups. You can use sage with poultry meat and mince. It can also be used to infuse liquids such as spirits, honey, water, vinegar. fresh sage leaves can also be used as a decorative piece.

13. Paprika or chilli

There are different types of paprika powder used for cooking. The most popular kind is made from dry roasted bell pepper. Milder than chillies, they are sweeter and perfect for those who are not into heat. High in vitamin C they add warmth to the body.

How to use it – You can add paprika or chilli powder in any savoury dish be it boiled vegetables, eggs, fish, meat, stews, curries, stir-fries, roasts. If you are not much into heat then reduce the amount for a subtle taste.

14. Cumin

One of the most popular and versatile spices used for cooking, cumin both whole and ground form is a perfect all round spice that can be used throughout the year. It is a warming spice with a nutty, pungent earthy flavour.

How to use it – Cumin seeds are used whole in warm oil, the ground version can be added to a dish during cooking. You can add cumin to stews, rubs, soups, curries, stir-fries. You can also add whole cumin seeds to breads, biscuits and cookies.

15. Black pepper

Another of the world’s most popular spice is black pepper. It is a universal seasoning that enhances the flavour of any dish it is used in. Peppery and sharp there is not a cuisine in the world that does not include this spice.

How to use it – Black pepper can be used both during the cooking or after on hot and cold dishes. It is a seasoning so it does not need to be cooked for the flavours to come out. Add it to any savoury dish of your choice.

16. Turmeric

An indispensable part of Indian cuisine, turmeric has gained popularity as a super food due to its many health benefits. Rich in anti-inflammatory properties it is more of a colouring spice as opposed to a flavouring spice. Pungent,woody and subtle turmeric can be used in many dishes.

How to use it – There are different types of turmeric that is used for cooking and other uses. Turmeric can be added to both sweet and savoury dishes where the use is slightly heavier in savoury dishes. Add a tsp or two to any dish you wish to lend a slight golden hue.

17. Saffron

The worlds most fragrant and costliest spice, saffron is a delicate yet strong floral spice that adds both flavour and colour to a dish. A sweet smelling spice you can use saffron in both savoury and sweet dishes.

How to use it – It is best to soak saffron in a little milk or water before using it in dishes. You can also use few saffron strands directly in a dish for the unique floral fragrance.

18. Thyme

Thyme adds a delicacy to a dish and changes the taste and flavour. Primarily used in Mediterranean cuisine, it is also popular in many European and Middle Eastern cuisines. Lemony and fresh thyme is best added to savoury dishes.

How to use it – Like sage, thyme works well with dishes that requires long braising time such as stews, broths, roasts. You can also use thyme to infuse drinks and also as a food plating decoration.

Autumn Spices Graphic

Here is a handy graphic of all the best autumn spices of you to see at a glace and to pin.