10 Spices Pennsylvanians Use All the Time That Have Shocking Origins

Most of us reach for that dusty spice jar in the cabinet without thinking twice about where it comes from. But if you’ve ever assumed nutmeg was a nut or that paprika was some mysterious exotic powder, you’re not alone.

The truth is, some of the most common spices in Pennsylvania kitchens have wild origins—tree bark, tropical orchids, and dried flower buds.

You’ve probably sprinkled these flavors over everything from casseroles to cookies, all while having no idea what they’re actually made of.

Whether you’re an occasional home cook or someone who grew up watching Julia Child reruns, this list will have you double-checking your spice rack and saying, “Wait… it’s made of what?”

Paprika – Made From Ground Bell Peppers

Let’s start with paprika, the deep red powder that gives deviled eggs their sunset dusting and chili its signature warmth. Paprika looks like it should be spicy, but it’s usually just sweet and earthy.

That’s because paprika is made from ground red bell peppers. Not chili peppers. Not mystery plants. Just regular, mild red peppers that have been dried and crushed into a fine powder.

The peppers used for paprika are usually a special variety bred for rich color and sweetness.

Some are smoked before grinding to give that famous smoky paprika flavor.

Hungarian and Spanish varieties tend to be bolder or spicier, but the classic paprika you’ll find from Walmart to Winn-Dixie is basically bell pepper in a powdered form.

Next time you shake it onto potato salad, picture a pile of red peppers drying in the sun.

Cloves – Made From Dried Flower Buds

Cloves may be tiny, but they pack a punch, and they’re actually dried flower buds. That’s right, not leaves, seeds, or stems, but the unopened flower of the clove tree.

The buds are harvested while still pink, before the flowers bloom. Once dried, they turn a rich brown and develop that strong, spicy scent we all recognize from holiday baking and glazed ham.

Each clove looks like a tiny nail, with a bulbous head and a sharp base. That shape is no accident; it’s exactly how the flower would have bloomed if left on the tree.

Because of their strength, cloves are often used whole (like stuck into oranges or hams) or ground into spice blends like pumpkin pie spice.

You probably didn’t realize that every time you eat a gingerbread cookie, you’re tasting the concentrated power of a flower that never got to bloom.

Cinnamon – Made From Tree Bark

Yes, actual bark. It’s made from the inner bark of trees in the Cinnamomum family.

Harvesters strip off the outer bark and carefully peel the soft, fragrant inner layers. These are dried into the curled sticks we call cinnamon.

Cinnamon sticks curl naturally as they dry, forming what’s sometimes called a “quill.” Once fully dried, they’re either packaged whole or ground into the cinnamon powder so many of us use.

The two most common types are Ceylon cinnamon (sometimes called “true” cinnamon) and cassia cinnamon, which is what you’ll usually find in U.S. supermarkets.

So yes, every time you bite into a cinnamon roll, you’re eating tree bark.

Nutmeg – Made From a Seed Inside a Fruit

Nutmeg is one of those spices that sounds like it should come from a nut. But it’s actually a seed that grows inside a fruit, and it has a hidden twin.

The nutmeg seed comes from the fruit of the Myristica fragrans tree, which grows in tropical regions like Indonesia and the Caribbean.

Inside the fruit is a hard brown seed. That’s the nutmeg.

But wrapped around that seed is a bright red, lace-like covering. That outer layer is dried and turned into a completely different spice: Mace.

Nutmeg is often grated fresh for maximum flavor, but you’ll also find it ground and jarred. It adds a warm, slightly sweet flavor to everything from eggnog to alfredo sauce.

And even though it’s from a tropical fruit, we tend to associate it with cozy fall desserts. Funny how that works.

Vanilla – Made From Orchid Pods

Vanilla might be the most surprising of all. While it’s a household flavor, especially in desserts, it doesn’t come from beans, nuts, or roots.

It comes from an orchid.

Vanilla extract is made by fermenting and curing the seed pods of the Vanilla planifolia orchid. It’s the only edible fruit produced by any orchid species.

The process is incredibly labor-intensive. Each flower must be hand-pollinated, and the pods (often called “vanilla beans”) take months to cure before they’re ready for use.

That’s why real vanilla is so expensive. The bottles you find at grocery stores labeled “pure vanilla extract” are the result of months of drying, fermenting, and aging those pods.

Most imitation vanilla, by the way, is made from synthetic vanillin, which originally came from wood pulp.

Not as appetizing, right?

Allspice – Made From One Single Berry

Allspice sounds like a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. And that’s exactly what it tastes like. But it’s actually one spice—a single dried berry from the Pimenta dioica plant.

Native to the Caribbean and Central America, the allspice berry is picked while green, then dried until it shrinks and hardens into the familiar brown bead.

It’s used in both sweet and savory dishes—from jerk chicken to apple pie. Its flavor is so complex that cooks once believed it must be a mix of several spices.

That’s how it got the name “allspice.” Not because it contains multiple ingredients, but because it tastes like it does.

So if you’ve been picturing some secret spice factory blending a bunch of powders, now you know: It all comes from one tiny fruit.

Cardamom – Made From Dried Seed Pods

Cardamom is often used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Scandinavian cooking. It has a unique floral and slightly minty flavor, and it comes from a pod full of tiny black seeds.

The plant that produces cardamom is related to ginger, and its seed pods are harvested before they split open. Inside each pod are dozens of little seeds packed with oil and flavor.

Green cardamom is the most common type, though black cardamom exists too and has a smokier, earthier profile.

You can buy cardamom pre-ground, but it loses flavor quickly. That’s why many cooks crush the pods and grind the seeds themselves right before using them.

It’s amazing how such a small pod can bring so much flavor to both coffee and cookies.

Star Anise – Made From a Star-Shaped Fruit

Star anise looks like it was made for food photography, but it’s more than just pretty. It’s the dried fruit of a tree native to China and Vietnam, and it tastes a lot like black licorice.

Each point of the star contains a glossy brown seed, but most of the flavor comes from the pod itself.

It’s used in Chinese five-spice powder and gives pho its signature warmth. In baking, it’s a hidden hero in mulled wine, spice cookies, and holiday punches.

Though it looks like it belongs on a Christmas ornament, star anise is a powerhouse spice with one of the most recognizable shapes on the spice rack.

Turmeric – Made From a Root

If you’ve ever cooked with turmeric, you know it stains everything a yellowish-gold, from your fingers to your countertops.

But did you know it’s made from a root?

Turmeric comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the Curcuma longa plant, which is in the ginger family. It’s dried and ground into the bright yellow powder you see in spice jars.

Fresh turmeric looks a lot like ginger on the outside. But when you cut it open, it’s a vibrant orange. Some people even use it grated, just like fresh ginger.

It’s known for its earthy flavor and health properties. You’ll find it in golden milk, curries, and even smoothies.

In ancient times, it was used as a dye before it became a culinary staple. Talk about a glow-up.

Saffron – Made From Flower Stigmas

Saffron might be the most luxurious spice in the world. It’s made from the tiny thread-like stigmas of a crocus flower.

Each flower only produces three saffron threads, and it takes around 75,000 flowers to yield one pound of saffron.

That’s why it’s more expensive than gold by weight.

The flowers bloom for just a few weeks each year and must be harvested by hand early in the morning, while the flowers are just starting to open.