The 15 Most Expensive Spices In The World

Spice up your life with these delicious seasonings! Discover the most expensive spices in the world, from exotic seeds to rare pollen.

Most Expensive Spices in the World

Why are some spices more expensive than others? It’s partly down to the high cost of production and also the cost of importation. Having said that, the general cost of spices has decreased over time.

In Roman times, spices were a status symbol, consumed in large quantities by wealthy citizens. Cinnamon and pepper were in high demand and spice traders travelled to Arabia and India to bring them back to Rome.

During the Middle Ages, spices were particularly expensive in Europe. They were used not only for cooking but also for medicinal purposes and in religious ceremonies.

In 1602, the Dutch East India Company was established to bring spices such as ginger, pepper corn and turmeric from Asia to Europe. The period became the Dutch Golden Age, as the Netherlands became one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

15. Black Pepper: $10/pound

Previously known as black gold because the Romans paid for it with gold, this spice makes up 20% of the total spice trade worldwide.

Peppercorns come from a flowering vine of the Piperaceae family and are actually made from its fruit. A pound of black pepper can cost up to $10 per pound.

Black pepper from the city of Tellicherry in Kerala, India is considered to be among the best pepper in the world. There are quite a few health benefits of black pepper. It contains the bioactive compound piperine which helps to improve cognitive function and has anti-inflammatory properties.

14. Cloves: $11/pound

Whole cloves are expensive for a variety of reasons. These flower buds come from the Syzygium aromaticum, or clove tree, which has a yield of only 2 to 3 kg per year.

Cloves are sensitive to weather conditions and have to be picked by hand when they reach a specific length. These aromatic spices are used to make fragrant pomanders, and also as ant repellent.

Oopular for seasoning meat and fruit, cloves are often used in spice blends, particularly in Jamaican recipes. You can also add cloves to hot drinks with lemon.

13. Pink Peppercorns: $23/pound

Despite their name, pink peppercorns are not actually peppercorns. These dried berries come from the Schinus molle evergreen tree.

Native to the Peruvian Andes, this bush is not related to commercial pepper. Known as the California pepper tree or Peruvian pepper tree, it yields these highly prized berries.

Pink peppercorns have a fruity taste that goes well in salad dressings or with chicken. As the berries are quite delicate, you shouldn’t use a pepper grinder on them.

Rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants, pink pepper is thought to lower blood sugar and to relieve muscular aches.

12. Ceylon Cinnamon: $27/pound

Cinnamon comes from the bark of the cinnamomum tree and is a popular spice throughout the world. There are two types of cinnamon: cassia cinnamon from China and Indonesia and Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka, the Seychelles and Madagascar.

Ceylon cinnamon is much more expensive than cassia cinnamon. A pound of cinnamon from Sri Lanka can cost around $27 per pound while cassia cinnamon costs around $11.

Lighter in color, Ceylon cinnamon is also sweeter tasting and less spicy than cassia cinnamon. It also contains less of the potentially harmful coumarin compound. Ceylon cinnamon is often used to make the garam masala spice blend.

Over 90% of cinnamon sold in the USA is cassia cinnamon. However, it’s Ceylon cinnamon that has the health benefits, being anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and regulating blood sugar.

11. Black Cardamom: $28/pound

Nicknamed The Queen of Spices, black cardamom’s scientific name is Amomum subulatum. Growing on the slopes of the Himalayas in India, and Nepal, this spice is similar to green cardamoms.

However, black cardamoms have a smokier flavor. These seeds grow in pods which contain the dark colored seeds. For recipes, you can add the whole pods to the pot and remove them before serving due to their strong flavor.

As well as for cooking, black cardamom is used in Chinese and Indian medicine to regulate stomach acid and improve digestion. It is also thought to balance blood pressure.

10. Pasilla de Oaxaca Chile: $29/pound

This rare chile pepper comes from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Much hotter than traditional Pasilla chiles, this version is smoke-dried.

In Oaxaca City, this particular pasilla chile costs around $16 per pound while it can sell for $40 to $60 per pound in the U.S. You can use Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles in salsas, sauces, soups and stews to give a smoky flavor without needing to add meat.

Another good way to eat these expensive Mexican chiles is stuffed with cheese and deep fried.

9. Green Cardamom: $32/pound

More expensive than black cardamoms, the green variety has an intense flavor that works well in both sweet and savory dishes. Green cardamoms are harvested before they reach maturity, while black cardamoms are dried over a fire pit.

Popular in Indian cuisine, they’re also used in Scandinavian cooking for recipes such as pulla, a Finnish cardamom bread. Generally, you remove the green cardamom seeds from the pods just before using them and grind them with a pestle and mortar.

Green cardamom powder is thought to reduce inflammation in the body and to lower blood pressure. Cardamom contains a flavonoid named quercetin which lowers anxiety and depression according to some studies.

8. Grains of Paradise: $33/pound

Also known as alligator pepper, Guinea grains or melegueta pepper, grains of paradise come from a plant originating in West Africa. The scientific name for this herbaceous perennial is Aframomum melegueta, which is a member of the ginger family.

Grains of paradise seeds are used as a spice thanks to their aromatic, peppery flavor. They’re often used in the spice blend ras el hanout.

This rare spice is also sold as grains of paradise extract for medicinal purposes. Whole grains of paradise are also thought to have aphrodisiac qualities!

7. Kaffir Lime Leaves: $36/pound

As they need to be picked by hand from long, thorny branches, kaffir lime leaves are expensive. Also known as makrut lime, they are native to South East Asia and very popular in Thailand.

Used as spices in curries, stir fries, rice dishes and soups, kaffir lime leaves are a dark green color. Dried kaffir lime leaves can be found in specialist grocery stores worldwide.

Fresh kaffir leaves are now also grown in California and Florida. Kaffir is a great source of Vitamin C.

As well as for cooking, you can use this fragrant leaf in a hot bath by crushing it in your hands. Thai kaffir leaves have a wonderful aroma and can be used to scent hair.

6. Black Cumin Seed: $39/pound

Unlinke regular cumin seeds which are brown, black cumin has a sweeter, citrus flavor. Not to be confused with black caraway seeds or nigella, this type of cumin is thinner and darker.

The seeds are used whole and toasted to flavor breads, tagines, vegetables and ground meat dishes. Black cumin seeds are also used in the Middle East and South East Asia to alleviate conditions such as bronchitis, rheumatism and asthma.

Organic black cumin oil is used not only for cooking but also for skincare. It is packed with over 100 vitamins and minerals and thought to help fight fine lines and reduce blemishes.

5. Long Pepper: $47/pound

Also known as pipli, long pepper is the fruit of a flowering vine plant. With a distinctive conical appearance, this costly spice used to be popular in African, Indonesian, Indian and Mediterranean cooking.

During the first siege of Rome, a ransom of long pepper, gold and silver was paid to Alaric I, King of the Visigoths to lift the siege. Due to its high price in the West, long pepper is now much harder to find than regular black pepper.

However, this unique spice has a hot, earthy taste that can be used in rasam spicy soup, lentil curries and marinades. Long pepper is combined with herbs in Ayurvedic medicine.

4. Mahlab: $69/pound

Sometimes written as mahleb, mahalepi or mayleb, this spice is the seed kernel of St. Lucie cherries. The reason why mahlab is so expensive is because it’s a very lengthy process to crack open the cherry pits.

The seed kernels are then dried before being sold whole or ground. If you can, buy whole mahlab as it retains its flavor much longer than for ground mahlab. You can then either grind it with a pestle and mortar or a pepper mill.

This spice is widely used in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking. However, mahlab is not so well known in the rest of Europe and the United States.

3. Vanilla Bean: $200/pound

There are a few reasons why vanilla is expensive. 80% of the world’s vanilla production comes from Madagascar, which is sometimes hit by cyclones affecting the crops.

In the 1980s, consumers mainly bought cheap synthetic vanilla, so some vanilla farmers stopped producing it. Another reason for the high price of vanilla is due to theft.

People steal vanilla beans and because of this, some farmers pick them before they are ripe which lowers the quality. Moreover, vanilla vines take between two to four years to reach maturity. Vanilla flowers generally only bloom for one day a year, and have to be pollinated on that one day to produce vanilla beans.

Vanilla pods containing tiny seeds are the real deal, while essence of vanilla is an artificial variety.

2. Fennel Pollen: $450/pound

The second most expensive spice in the world is organic fennel pollen. Although it’s not difficult to grow fennel, the pollen must be picked by hand and has a very low yield of around a gram a time.

Most commercially grown fennel pollen comes from the Tuscany region of Italy. You can actually grow your own fennel and shake the yellow flowers inside a ziplock bag if you have the patience.

Fennel pollen has a very distinctive taste with notes of anise, citrus, liquorice, pepper and saffron. It is popular with some of the best chefs in the world.

Fennel and its seeds and pollen have been used as an herbal remedy for a host of aliments, including digestive discomforts, and as a purifying food for the body, beneficial for natural detoxification, and weight loss.

Fennel was believed beneficial in disorders of the eye, and helpful in reducing cataracts in the elderly. In ancient Chinese medicine, fennel was used as a remedy for snakebites.

1. Saffron: $1000/pound

What is the most expensive spice in the world? The most expensive spice by weight is pure saffron. Nicknamed red gold, saffron is highly prized for its rich taste.

Saffron spice comes from the crocus flower (crocus sativus) and has to be handpicked. Each flower has only three red stigmas, so you’d need to 170,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron.

Just one gram of saffron can cost as much as $9. The labor-intensive production process is the reason for this high price tag.

Saffron production is concentrated in Iran, although it is now also harvested in Afghanistan, Spain and India. The saffron crocus stigmas are called saffron threads once they’re picked.

You can use saffron to make a shellfish paella, risotta alla milanese or tahdig, a crispy rice dish. Drinking saffron water is thought to give your skin a radiant glow, to help fade blemishes and improve its texture.

Here’s a recap of the most expensive spices in the world:

1. Saffron
2. Fennel Pollen
3. Vanilla Bean
4. Mahlab
5. Long Pepper
6. Black Cumin Seed
7. Kaffir Lime Leaves
8. Grains of Paradise
9. Green Cardamom
10. Pasilla de Oaxaca Chile
11. Black Cardamom
12. Ceylon Cinnamon
13. Pink Peppercorns
14. Cloves
15. Black Pepper

Final Thoughts on the Most Expensive Spices in the World

A lot of people think that the most expensive thing you can put in your kitchen is a top-of-the-line appliance. But as it turns out, there are some spices that cost a pretty penny, too. If you’re interested in learning more about the world’s most expensive spices and what makes them so pricey, read on!

And if you’re looking for more food articles, be sure to check out our website for other great reads.

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