AFDC 7 (887) CD 3 
                                                                                             ICS: 67.220.10  
 
© TBS 20 21                                                                                               f
 Fourth  Edition  TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
Spices and condiments — Nomenclature  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                       TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
  
ii  ©TBS 20 21 – All rights reserved   
  
                                 AFDC 7 (887) CD 3 
                                                                                                                               
©TBS 20 21– All rights reserved   1  
Spices and condiments — Nomenclature  
 
 
0 Foreword  
 
This Tanzania standard provides different pla nts classified under spices and condiments and which 
have been recommended for use in the preparation of spices and condiments . Most of the plants 
which appear in the list are those which are commonly used as spices and condiments. The  plants are 
given bot h in their botanical names and common  names  in English and/or Kiswahili .  
 
In the preparation of this Tanzania standard considerable help was derived from spices processors  in 
the country. Some information was obtained from ISO 676:1995 and from t he Univer sity of Dar es 
Salaam , in particular the Department of Botany at the College of Natural and Applied Science s.  
 
 
1 Scope   
 
This Tanzania standard prescribes the list of botanical names of plants classified under   spices and 
condiments. This standard  also gives the part s of the plant used  as spices , the com mon name of 
spices and con diments in English and /or Kiswahili for both imported and grown in the country.   
 
 
2 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purposes of this Tanzania standard the following terms and definitions shall apply:   
 
2.1 spices   
 
are fresh or dried plant parts such as seed, fruit, root, bark or leaves of the plant either in whole or 
ground form used in small quantities to season or flavour food.  
 
2.2 condiments   
 
are pungent, hot or fatty subst ance s or a mixture of each used in small quantit ies in food s to improve 
flavour.  
 
 
 
   
2  ©TBS 20 21 – All rights reserved  3 List of spices and condiments  
 
The list of spices and condiments together with their botanical, common  names in  English and   Swahili  
and the part s used as the spice  or condiment are given in Table 1.  
 
Table 1 — List of spices and condiments  
 
S/No  Botanical  English  Swahili  Part used  
1.  Allium cepa Linnaeus  Onion  Kitunguu maji  Bulb,  
2.  Allium ampeloprasum  Leek  liki leaves  
3.  Allium schoinoprasum  chive  Kutunguu majani  leaves 
4.  Allium sativum Linnaeus  Garlic  Kitunguu 
saumu/thaumu  Bulb 
5.  Anethum graveolens Linnaeus  Dill seed  Binzari/bizari nene  Fruit 
6.  Apium graveolens Linnaeus  Celery, garden celery  Figili mwitu  Fruit, root, leaf  
7.  Brassica  nigra Linnaeus  Black mustard  Harad ali- Seed  
8.  Capsicum frutescens Linnaeus  
 Chillies,  
 Pilipili kali/hoho  
 Fruit 
 
9.  Capsicum annuum Linnaeus  paprika , Capsicum. or 
(Sweet pepper)  Paprika/ Pilipili 
tamu/  
Mboga  (hoho ) Fruit 
10.  Carum carvi Linnaeus  Caraway  Kisibiti  Fruit 
11.  Cinnamomum zeylanicum  Blume  Cinnamon  Mdalasini  Bark and leaves  
12.  Coriandrum sativum Linnaeus  Coriander  Kasubara or 
giligilani  Leaf and seed  
13.  Crocus sativus  Linnaeus  Saffron  Zafarani  Stigma  
14.  
Cuminum cyminum Linnaeus  Cumin  Binzari  
nyembamba/uzile /J
eera seed  
15.  Curcuma longa Linnaeus  Turmeric  Binzari/bizari/ 
manjano  Rhizome  
16.  Elettaria cardamomum Maton  Cardamom  Iliki Fruit and seed  
17.  Syzygium aromaticum (L) Merril 
and Perry  Cloves  
Clove stem  Karafuu  
makonyo  flower bud  and stem  
18.  Foeniculum vulgare  P Miller  Fennel  Shamari  Fruit an d Seed  
19.  Mangifera indica  Linnaeus  
 Mango  Embe Unripe fruit slices or 
powder  
20.  Mentha spicata  Linnaeus  Spearmint /mint  Mnanaa /nanaa  Leaf 
21.  Murraya koenigii ( L) Spreng.  Curry leave  Mvuje  Leaf 
22.  Myristica fragrans Houtt.  Nutmeg / 
Mace  Kungumanga / 
Basibasi  Kernel/  
Aril 
23.  Papaver somniferum Linnaeus  Poppy  - Seed  
24.  Pimpinella anisum  Linnaeus   Aniseed  - Fruit 
25.  Piper nigrum Linnaeus  
 Black pepper  
White pepper  
Green pepper  Pilipilimanga  Berry  
26.  Piper longum  Linnaeus  Long pepper (pipli of 
papal)  Pilipili ndefu  Seed  and leaves  
27.  Satureja hortensis Linnaeus  
 Savory  
 - Leaf and flowering top  
28.  Brassica hirta Moench  (Syn.  
Sinapis alba  Linnaeus)  White mustard  
Yellow mustard  Haradali  
 Seed  
29.  Thymus vulgaris Linnaeus  
Thimbra spicata  Thyme  Zatari Leaf and flowering top    AFDC 7 (887) CD 2 
©TBS 20 21– All rights reserved   3 S/No  Botanical  English  Swahili  Part used  
30.  Trigonella foenum -graecum ( L) Fenugreek  Uwatu  Seed  
31.  Vanilla frangrans  Ames (Synonym 
Vanilla planifolia  Andrews)  Vanilla  Vanila  Pod(cured fruit)  
32.  Vanilla tahitensis  Moore  Vanilla  Vanila Pod (cured fruit)  
33.  Zingiber officionale  Roscoe  Ginger  Tangawizi  Rhizome 
34.  Cymbopogon citrates  Lemon Grass  Mchaichai  Leaf 
35.  Rosmarinus officinalis  Rosemary  Rozi meri  Leaf 
36.  Salvia officinalis, Salvia triloba  Sage  - Leaf 
37.  Mentha piperita  peppermint  Mperemende  Leaf 
38.  Artemisia dracunculus  Tarragon  - Leaf and flowering top  
39.  Alpinia galanga  Galangal root  Khulinjani  Rhizome  
40.  Monarda citriodora  Lemon mint  Mpamba wake  Leaf 
41.  Averrhoa carambo la L. Carambola /star fruit  Mbilimbi /mbirimbi  Fruit 
42.  Averrhoa bilimbi  Belimbing  Mbilimbi /mbirimbi  Fruit 
43.  Origanum vulgare L. Oregano  Mzam da Leaf, flower  
44.  Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr.  
J.W.Moore  Pimento, allspice   
Allspice  Immature fruit, leaf  
45.  Tamarindus indica L. Tamarind  Ukwaju  Fruit 
46.  Ocimum basilicum  L. basil mrehani  Leaves  
47.  Laurus nobilis L. bay  leaves  
48.  Citrus limon L lemon  Limao  Fruit 
49.  Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm,) 
Swingle  lime ndimu  Fruit 
50.  Citrus sinensis  Orange peel  Maganda ya 
machungwa  Fruit peels  
51.  Lavandula angustifolia Mill  Lavender  mrujuani  Flowers  
 
 AFDC 7 (887) CD 3 
©TBS 20 21 – All rights reserved