Ajwain is very aromatic but less subtle in taste. It is slightly bitter, pungent and strong. Even a small amount of ajwain dominates the taste of a dish. In India, ajwain is never used raw, but is either roasted or fried in ghee, which is done to develop a stronger and more prominent aroma.
Cloves are used in the cuisine lending flavor to meats, curries, and marinades, as well as fruit such as apples, pears or rhubarb. Cloves may be used to give aromatic and flavor qualities to hot beverages, often combined with other ingredients such as lemon and sugar. They are a common element in spice blends such as pumpkin pie spice and speculoos spices.
The word "coriander" in food preparation may refer solely to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to terpenes linalool and pinene. It is described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured.
