SEASN

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The Six Families — how every spice is organised

Builders

Go in first.
Need fat and heat.

The invisible foundation of every complex dish.

Warmers

Sweet-savoury depth.
Early to mid.

Cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg.

Aromatics

Fragrance-led.
Never accidental.

Cardamom, saffron, star anise.

Savoury Herbs

Earthy depth.
Hold through cooking.

Oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay.

Heat Bringers

Heat and sharpness.
Flexible timing.

Pepper, chili, cayenne, mustard.

Brighteners

Lift and acidity.
Always last.

Heat destroys them. Sumac, mint, dill.

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By Spice

Tab 1

Select any spice. See everything about it — what it pairs with, what to avoid & when to add it.

1

Use the search bar or scroll the left panel to find a spice

2

Click it. The right panel shows its impact score, timing, compound group and regional home

3

Green chips = proven pairings. Click any chip to jump to that spice

4

Orange star chips = use with caution — competing compounds

Impact score

1 — Background. Use freely.

3 — Medium. One to two per dish.

5 — Very High. Be intentional — more can always be added.

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By Region

Tab 2

Explore which spices belong to a cuisine tradition — and how they connect to each other within it.

1

Click any of the six regional cards — Middle East, South Asian, European, and more

2

See the canonical blends for that region — Baharat, Garam Masala, Herbes de Provence, etc.

3

The expanded table shows each spice's in-region pairs and its cross-region connections

Middle East & N. Africa

South Asian

East & SE Asian

European

North American

South American

⚗

Build a Blend

Tab 4

Select 2–6 spices and get an instant compatibility analysis. Use the region filter to keep it structurally sound.

1

Filter by region at the top of the left panel — this narrows spices to one cuisine tradition

2

Click spices to add them. The impact bar on each row shows intensity at a glance

3

Watch the three scores update live: Harmony %, Caution Conflicts, Total Impact

4

Use the Timing Sequence to know what order to add things. Use Suggested Additions to grow the blend

10
to
13

Target Total Impact
Aim to be in this range for a balanced, layered profile.

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Matrix

Tab 3

A full 46 × 46 pairing grid. Every spice against every other spice. Grouped by family for easy reading.

✦

Proven pair

★

Use caution

◈

Same family

●

Same spice

→Scroll right to read the full grid — it's wide by design

→Family headers break the rows into six colour-coded sections

→Hover any cell to see the two spice names in the tooltip

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Three things to remember

Start with Builders

Every great dish starts with a Builder base — garlic, onion, cumin, coriander. These go in first with fat and heat. Without them, everything feels thin.

One lead spice per dish

Never stack two very high impact spices. Clove (4), cayenne (5), saffron (4) — each wants to lead. Pick one and let everything else support it.

Brighteners always go last

Sumac, mint, dill, amchur — these are the finishing touches. Add them off heat or right at the end. Heat destroys the volatile acids that make them work.

Filter by Region