The flavour of every kitchen
A pinch of the right thing changes everything, and this word search gathers the spice rack. You'll track down the fresh green herbs — BASIL, PARSLEY, THYME and ROSEMARY — the warm baking spices like CINNAMON, NUTMEG and GINGER, and bolder ones like PAPRIKA, SAFFRON and CHILI.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the rack is rearranged every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode flavour adventure once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
Herbs, spices and where they come from
Herbs and spices are different parts of plants. Herbs are usually the soft, leafy bits — BASIL, PARSLEY, SAGE, DILL and MINT — while spices come from seeds, bark, roots or flowers: CINNAMON is bark, CUMIN and CORIANDER are seeds, GINGER and TURMERIC are roots, and CLOVE is a dried flower bud.
Some have amazing stories. SAFFRON, the world's most expensive spice, is the hand-picked threads from inside a crocus flower, while PEPPER is a dried berry. Spices like PEPPER, NUTMEG and CINNAMON were once so valuable that they helped drive centuries of trade and exploration across the globe.
A taste of the whole world
Because spices travel so far, this puzzle pairs beautifully with a cooking lesson or a 'food from around the world' topic — a chance to talk about how a curry, a Sunday roast and a cinnamon bun all lean on different jars from the same rack. There's a flavour here for every dish, from mild herbs to fiery CHILI.
Play, print or make your own
Play online, or print a PDF pack for a cookery or world-foods activity. Want a grid of only the herbs and spices in tonight's recipe? Use our Make Your Own tool to choose them and print matching copies for the kitchen.
Frequently asked questions
Which herbs and spices are in the word search?
A full spice rack — basil, parsley, thyme and rosemary, warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and bolder ones like paprika, saffron and chili. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
What's the difference between herbs and spices?
Herbs are the leafy parts of plants — BASIL, PARSLEY, THYME — while spices come from seeds, bark or roots, like CINNAMON, CUMIN and TURMERIC. Both are hidden in the grid.
Is it good for a cooking or world-foods topic?
Great fit — many spices travelled the globe, so it pairs well with food-from-around-the-world lessons. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.