Spices. A collection of ground and whole spices. These include (from top left corner clockwise): cinnamon, star anise, cumin seeds, black pepper, cayenne pepper, pink peppercorns, ginger, red chillies, cloves, nutmeg and green cardamom seeds. The bowl (at centre) contains (from top to bottom) ground turmeric, paprika, coriander, chilli powder and whole mustard seeds. Spices are aromatic flavourings made from parts of plants. They are widely used for culinary purposes, particularly in the tropics. Most spices are native to tropical Asia and Moluccas, the Spice Islands of Indonesia.