Spicy

Cay ấm

Dried or fresh spices. The warmth here is not purely a smell — it is a response of the trigeminal nerve, the same system that tells you chilli is hot and mint is cold.

14 entries · 21 linked compounds

Volatility band

150 °CTop Middle 290 °CBase

21 linked compounds, from 12 of the family’s 14 entries. This is what we have been able to trace so far, not the whole chemistry of the family — entries whose chemistry is still blank will fill in the picture over time.

Spicy14 entries

Fresh ginger Galangal Black pepper

Star anise Toasted coriander seed Cassia cinnamon leaf Prickly ash pepper Fresh turmeric Amomum Fried garlic Cassia cinnamon bark Clove

Doi seed Black cardamom

Every entry

Amomum · Sa nhânShell a dried amomum pod and smell the seeds inside
Black cardamom · Thảo quảA black cardamom pod charred over a flame, shelled, the seeds inside smelled
Black pepper · Tiêu đenBlack peppercorns freshly crushed in a mortar
Cassia cinnamon bark · Vỏ quếA stick of Tra Bong cassia with the outer layer lightly scraped
Cassia cinnamon leaf · Lá quếCrush a fresh cassia leaf and compare it straight away with cassia bark
Clove · Đinh hươngA dried clove bud, snapped in two and smelled
Doi seed · Hạt dổiGrill a hạt dổi seed over charcoal until it puffs, pound it, then smell
Fresh ginger · Gừng tươiA freshly cut slice of fresh ginger
Fresh turmeric · Nghệ tươiCut a slice of fresh turmeric and smell the cut face
Fried garlic · Tỏi phiFry a spoonful of minced garlic in oil until golden, and smell the steam rising
Galangal · RiềngSliced fresh galangal root
Prickly ash pepper · Mắc khénToast a few mắc khén berries in a dry pan and smell as soon as they become fragrant
Star anise · Hoa hồiOne dried star anise point, snapped in two
Toasted coriander seed · Hạt mùi rangToast a spoonful of coriander seed in a dry pan until fragrant, crush lightly and smell