Diving into Latin American cuisine is one of the most exciting parts of learning Spanish, and you can't do that without talking about herbs and spices! This vocabulary list is your guide to the essential seasonings that define the flavors of the region, from Mexican tacos to Peruvian stews. Knowing these words will empower you at the local market, help you read authentic recipes, and allow you to order with confidence at a restaurant, specifying just how 'picante' you like your food. As you explore this list, you'll notice many familiar cognates like 'orégano' and 'albahaca' (basil), which makes them easy to remember. You'll also encounter words that are fundamental to specific regional cuisines, like 'epazote' for Mexican black beans or 'ají' for the chili peppers used throughout South America. While many terms are universal, the word for 'chili pepper' itself is a great example of a regional difference: it's 'chile' in Mexico and Central America, but 'ají' in most of South America. This list will focus on the most common terms you'll hear across Latin America.
salt
Creo que a la sopa le falta un poco de sal. — I think the soup needs a little salt.
pepper
¿Me pasas la sal y la pimienta, por favor? — Can you pass me the salt and pepper, please?
garlic
Para el arroz, primero frío un poco de ajo y cebolla. — For the rice, I first fry a little garlic and onion.
cilantro (coriander)
Los tacos al pastor siempre llevan cebolla y cilantro fresco. — Tacos al pastor always have onion and fresh cilantro.
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parsley
Voy a picar perejil para decorar la ensalada. — I'm going to chop parsley to garnish the salad.
basil
La salsa para la pasta lleva tomates frescos y mucha albahaca. — The pasta sauce has fresh tomatoes and lots of basil.
mint
Me encanta el té de menta después de comer. — I love mint tea after eating.
spearmint
Un buen mojito se prepara con hierbabuena fresca. — A good mojito is made with fresh spearmint.
epazote (Mexican tea)
En México, le ponemos una rama de epazote a los frijoles negros. — In Mexico, we add a sprig of epazote to black beans.
oregano
La pizza necesita más orégano para tener buen sabor. — The pizza needs more oregano to taste good.
cumin
El comino le da un sabor muy característico a la carne. — Cumin gives a very characteristic flavor to the meat.
rosemary
Las papas al horno con romero son deliciosas. — Roasted potatoes with rosemary are delicious.
thyme
Usé tomillo para sazonar el pollo asado. — I used thyme to season the roasted chicken.
bay leaf
Siempre le pongo dos hojas de laurel a la sopa de lentejas. — I always put two bay leaves in the lentil soup.
saffron
El azafrán es una especia muy cara que le da color amarillo a la comida. — Saffron is a very expensive spice that gives a yellow color to food.
cinnamon
El arroz con leche sabe mejor con un poco de canela en polvo. — Rice pudding tastes better with a little cinnamon powder.
clove
El dulce de camote lleva piloncillo, canela y clavo de olor. — The sweet potato dessert has piloncillo, cinnamon, and clove.
nutmeg
Agrega una pizca de nuez moscada al puré de papa. — Add a pinch of nutmeg to the mashed potatoes.
vanilla
Este pastel tiene extracto de vainilla de México. — This cake has vanilla extract from Mexico.
anise
El té de anís es bueno para la digestión. — Anise tea is good for digestion.
chili pepper
¿Este platillo lleva chile? No como muy picante. (Usado en México y Centroamérica). — Does this dish have chili pepper? I don't eat very spicy food. (Used in Mexico and Central America).
chili pepper
En Perú, usamos ají amarillo para muchas salsas. (Usado en Sudamérica). — In Peru, we use yellow chili pepper for many sauces. (Used in South America).
paprika
El color rojo del chorizo viene del pimentón. A veces también se le dice 'paprika'. — The red color of the chorizo comes from paprika. Sometimes it's also called 'paprika'.
chili powder
Me gusta ponerle chile en polvo a la fruta, como al mango o la piña. — I like to put chili powder on fruit, like mango or pineapple.
ginger
Para el resfriado, preparo un té con limón, miel y jengibre. — For a cold, I make a tea with lemon, honey, and ginger.
sesame seeds
El mole poblano se decora con ajonjolí tostado. En España le dicen 'sésamo'. — Mole poblano is decorated with toasted sesame seeds. In Spain they call it 'sésamo'.