swap_horiz Cayenne Pepper Alternatives

1

Black Pepper

Black pepper originates from *Piper nigrum*, a vine species native to South India. The dried berries are harvested and p...

Seed Universal Savory Pungent

9.2 Excellent

2

Sichuan Pepper

Sichuan pepper originates from China and is a spice valued for its distinctive flavor profile. It delivers a unique numb...

Numbing Citrus Chinese Heat

9.1 Excellent

3

Cumin

Cumin is the dried seed of *Cuminum cyminum*, a plant originating in the eastern Mediterranean region. It’s notable for...

Seed Universal Savory Earthy

9.1 Excellent

4

Sesame Seed

Sesame seed is one of the oldest known oilseed crops, with Sesamum indicum cultivated for at least 3,500 years, valued g...

Seed Universal Savory Nutty

8.9 Great

5

Smoked Paprika

Smoked paprika is made from Capsicum annuum peppers dried over oak fires, a technique developed in the La Vera region of...

Spanish Savory Smoky Chile

8.8 Great

6

Ancho Chile

Ancho chile is the dried form of the poblano pepper (Capsicum annuum), one of the most widely used dried chiles in Mexic...

Savory Mexican Fruity Capsicum

8.8 Great

7

Star Anise

Star anise is the star-shaped fruit of Illicium verum, native to southern China and Vietnam, and is the primary commerci...

Savory Chinese Fruit Licorice

8.7 Great

8

Dried Porcini Powder

Dried porcini powder is made from Boletus edulis and related boletes, mushrooms central to Italian cooking and valued be...

Italian Mushroom Savory Umami

8.7 Great

9

Urfa Biber

Urfa biber is a dark, sun-dried and night-sweated Turkish chile from Şanlıurfa province with a smoky, raisin-like flavor...

Dark Savory Earthy Turkish

8.6 Great

10

Coriander Seed

Coriander seed is the dried fruit of Coriandrum sativum, one of the oldest documented spices with seeds found in Egyptia...

Seed Universal Savory Citrusy

8.6 Great

11

Dried Oregano

Dried oregano from Origanum vulgare, native to the Mediterranean, gained widespread US popularity after World War II whe...

Mediterranean Herb Savory Pungent

8.6 Great

12

Dried Kombu Powder

Dried kombu powder is made from kelp such as Saccharina japonica; Kikunae Ikeda identified umami from kombu dashi in Jap...

Japanese Savory Seaweed Umami

8.6 Great

13

Scotch Bonnet Powder

Powdered Capsicum chinense chile named for its bonnet-like shape, central to Caribbean cuisine and Jamaican jerk seasoni...

Fruity Caribbean Heat Very Hot

8.5 Great

14

Dried Shiitake Powder

Dried shiitake powder is Lentinula edodes, an East Asian hardwood mushroom long cultivated on logs and used for its guan...

Japanese Mushroom Savory Umami

8.5 Great

15

Sweet Paprika

Sweet paprika is a mild ground red powder made from dried Capsicum annuum peppers, most famously produced in Hungary and...

Mild Hungarian Savory Chile

8.4 Great

16

Dried Morel Powder

Dried morel powder is made from Morchella species, honeycomb-capped ascomycete mushrooms prized in Europe and North Amer...

Mushroom Gourmet Savory Earthy

8.4 Great

17

Toasted Sesame Powder

Toasted sesame powder is ground roasted Sesamum indicum seed; sesame is among the oldest oilseed crops, domesticated in...

Seed Savory Asian Nutty

8.4 Great

18

Chile de Árbol

Chile de árbol (Capsicum annuum) is a small, slender Mexican chile with intense heat of 15,000–30,000 Scoville units, us...

Mexican Hot Heat Dried

8.0 Great

19

Hot Paprika

Hot paprika is a ground Capsicum blend with a higher proportion of seeds and veins retained to increase heat, used promi...

Hungarian Savory Hot Chile

7.8 Good

20

Piquín Chile

A tiny wild chile (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) native to Mexico and the southern US, registering 40,000–60,000 S...

Tiny Mexican Hot Heat

7.7 Good