Looking for herbs and spices that start with V? It is a smaller corner of the spice rack than C, M or S, but there are still some lovely ingredients worth knowing about. Some are easy to find in UK supermarkets, while others are more likely to pop up in specialist shops, online spice sellers or Asian grocers.

This guide covers the main V herbs and spices used for flavouring food and drinks, including what they taste like, how to use them, and which ones are worth buying if you are watching the pennies.

Quick List of Herbs and Spices That Start With V

Here is a handy at-a-glance list before we get into the details.

Vanilla

Vanilla is easily the best-known spice beginning with V. It comes from the pods of vanilla orchids and is used mainly in sweet cooking, although it can work beautifully in savoury dishes too when used with care.

What does vanilla taste like?

Vanilla has a warm, sweet, creamy and floral flavour. It is not actually sugary on its own, but it makes sweet foods taste rounder and more comforting. This is why it appears in so many puddings, cakes and biscuits.

How to use vanilla

• Add a little vanilla extract to cake batter, pancakes, waffles or muffins.
• Stir into porridge, rice pudding or custard.
• Use vanilla bean paste in buttercream, cheesecake or homemade ice cream.
• Add a tiny amount to hot chocolate or coffee for a café-style drink at home.
• Pair with roasted fruit, especially apples, pears, plums and rhubarb.

Money-saving vanilla tips

Vanilla can be expensive, especially pods. For everyday baking, a decent vanilla extract is often better value than whole pods. Avoid very cheap products labelled as vanilla flavouring if you want a true vanilla taste, as these may not have the same depth.

• Best budget buy: vanilla extract for regular baking.
• Best for special occasions: vanilla bean paste or pods.
• Stretch it further: place used vanilla pods in a jar of caster sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Vietnamese Coriander

Vietnamese coriander, sometimes called Vietnamese mint, laksa leaf or rau ram, is a fresh herb used widely in South East Asian cooking. Despite the name, it is not the same plant as standard coriander, but it gives a similar fresh lift with extra peppery warmth.

What does Vietnamese coriander taste like?

It tastes fresh, citrusy, slightly spicy and peppery. If you like coriander but want something bolder, Vietnamese coriander is worth trying. It is especially good in dishes that need a fresh finish rather than a long cooking time.

How to use Vietnamese coriander

• Slice and scatter over noodle bowls, soups and broths.
• Add to rice paper rolls or Vietnamese-style salads.
• Stir through fried rice at the end of cooking.
• Use with chicken, prawns, tofu or eggs.
• Combine with lime juice, chilli and fish sauce for a punchy dressing.

Buying and storing Vietnamese coriander

In the UK, Vietnamese coriander is more likely to be found in Asian supermarkets than in standard supermarkets. If you cook with it regularly, it can be grown in a pot in a warm spot. Fresh herbs can be costly when bought in small packets, so growing your own is the cheapest option if you have the space.

Store fresh stems wrapped loosely in slightly damp kitchen paper inside a bag or tub in the fridge. Use within a few days for the best flavour.

Vadouvan

Vadouvan is a fragrant spice blend with roots in French-influenced Indian cooking. It is sometimes described as a French-style curry powder, but that undersells it a bit. The flavour is rich, savoury, aromatic and slightly sweet, often with onion, garlic, fenugreek and warming spices.

What is in vadouvan?

Recipes vary, but vadouvan blends may include:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Fenugreek
• Cumin
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Turmeric
• Cardamom
• Cloves
• Chilli

Some versions are sold as a dry powder, while others are made as a cooked paste. Always check the ingredients if you need to avoid allergens or particular spices.

How to cook with vadouvan

• Toss potatoes, carrots or cauliflower with oil and vadouvan before roasting.
• Use it to season lentil soup or dhal-style stews.
• Rub onto chicken thighs before baking.
• Stir into yoghurt for a quick dip or marinade.
• Add to rice with onions and peas for a simple spiced side dish.

Budget tip for vadouvan

Vadouvan is not always the cheapest spice blend, but you only need a spoonful to add a lot of flavour. If you cannot find it locally, use a mild curry powder with a pinch of extra garlic powder, onion granules and fenugreek as a rough substitute. It will not be exactly the same, but it works well in family meals.

Vervain

Vervain is a herb often used in herbal infusions. Common vervain is different from lemon verbena, although the names can cause confusion. Lemon verbena has a much stronger lemon scent, while vervain is more grassy and herbal with a slight bitterness.

How is vervain used?

Vervain is most often dried and brewed as a tea. It is not a common everyday cooking herb in the UK, but it belongs in this list because it is used as a flavouring herb, particularly in herbal drinks.

• Use dried vervain in a herbal tea blend.
• Pair with mint for a fresher flavour.
• Add a small amount to floral or botanical infusions.

Food safety note

As with many herbal teas, moderation is sensible. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with a qualified health professional before using unfamiliar herbal products regularly.

Voatsiperifery Pepper

Voatsiperifery pepper is a wild pepper from Madagascar. It is less common than black pepper, but it has become popular with cooks who enjoy distinctive finishing spices. The name can be a mouthful, but the flavour is worth knowing.

What does voatsiperifery pepper taste like?

It is peppery, of course, but also fruity, woody and slightly floral. It has a lively aroma and a more unusual character than standard black peppercorns.

How to use voatsiperifery pepper

• Grind over scrambled eggs or omelettes.
• Use as a finishing pepper for steak, chicken or roasted mushrooms.
• Add a small pinch to chocolate mousse, brownies or hot chocolate.
• Sprinkle over grilled fish with lemon.
• Try with roasted beetroot or carrots.

Is it worth buying?

For budget cooking, ordinary black pepper is far better value. Voatsiperifery pepper is more of a treat ingredient. If you do buy it, use it as a finishing spice rather than hiding it in a long-cooked stew. That way, the aroma is not wasted.

Violet

Violet is more often thought of as an edible flower than a classic herb or spice, but it is used to flavour sweets, syrups, cakes and drinks. Violet has a delicate floral taste that can divide opinion; some people love it, while others find it a bit soapy.

Ways to use violet in food

• Crystallise edible violet flowers for decorating cakes.
• Use violet syrup in lemonade, cocktails or mocktails.
• Add a small amount of violet flavouring to buttercream.
• Scatter edible flowers over salads or desserts.

Important picking advice

Only eat flowers that you can identify confidently as edible and that have not been sprayed with pesticides. Do not pick from roadsides or public areas where contamination is likely. If in doubt, buy edible flowers from a reputable food supplier.

Vetiver

Vetiver is an aromatic grass best known for its use in perfumes, but in some places its roots are used to flavour drinks and syrups. The taste is earthy, woody, smoky and cooling. It is not a mainstream UK cooking ingredient, but it does appear in specialist food and drink contexts.

How is vetiver used?

Vetiver root may be used to infuse water, syrups or traditional drinks. Because it is not a common supermarket ingredient, most home cooks will not need it. If you do buy vetiver for food use, make sure it is specifically sold as food grade, not as a fragrance, craft or cosmetic product.

Best V Herbs and Spices for Everyday Cooking

If you are trying to keep your food shop under control, not every unusual ingredient deserves a place in your cupboard. Here is how the V herbs and spices compare for regular use.

Cheap Meal Ideas Using V Herbs and Spices

You do not need a huge spice collection to make budget meals taste better. A few carefully chosen ingredients can lift simple staples such as rice, potatoes, lentils and eggs.

Vanilla porridge

Add a splash of vanilla extract to porridge with sliced banana or stewed apple. It makes a basic breakfast feel sweeter without needing lots of sugar.

Vadouvan roast vegetables

Toss carrots, onions, potatoes or cauliflower with oil, salt and vadouvan. Roast until golden and serve with yoghurt, flatbreads or rice.

Vietnamese coriander noodle bowl

Use instant or dried noodles, add leftover chicken, tofu or a boiled egg, then finish with chopped Vietnamese coriander, lime and chilli sauce.

Violet lemonade

Stir a little violet syrup into lemonade or sparkling water for a simple special-occasion drink. Use a light hand, as violet can quickly become overpowering.

How to Store Herbs and Spices Properly

Good storage helps you get the most from every jar and packet.

• Keep dried spices away from heat: do not store them right above the hob if you can avoid it.
• Use airtight containers: this keeps flavours fresher for longer.
• Label loose packets: add the name and date so mystery spices do not pile up.
• Freeze some fresh herbs: soft herbs can be chopped and frozen in ice cube trays with a little water or oil, although texture changes.
• Buy small amounts: bargain bulk bags are only good value if you will actually use them before the flavour fades.

Substitutes for V Herbs and Spices

If a recipe calls for a V ingredient you cannot find, these swaps may help.

FAQs About Herbs and Spices That Start With V

What spice starts with V?

The most common spice that starts with V is vanilla. Other examples include vadouvan, which is a spice blend, and voatsiperifery pepper, a wild pepper from Madagascar.

What herb starts with V?

Vietnamese coriander and vervain are two herbs that start with V. Vietnamese coriander is used fresh in cooking, while vervain is more commonly used for herbal tea.

Is vanilla a spice?

Yes, vanilla is classed as a spice because it comes from the seed pod of the vanilla orchid and is used to flavour food.

Is vadouvan the same as curry powder?

No. Vadouvan is a curry-style spice blend, but it is usually more savoury and aromatic, often with onion and garlic notes. Curry powder can be used as a substitute in everyday cooking, but the flavour will be different.

Can I grow Vietnamese coriander in the UK?

Yes, but it prefers warmth and moisture. It often does best in a pot in a warm kitchen, greenhouse or sheltered summer spot. Bring it indoors when temperatures drop.

What is the cheapest V spice to buy?

Vanilla flavourings vary widely in price, but for regular use, vanilla extract is usually the most practical V spice for UK kitchens. Vadouvan can also be good value if you use it to season low-cost ingredients such as lentils, potatoes and rice.

Are violet flowers safe to eat?

Some violets are edible, but you should only eat flowers you can identify confidently and that are free from pesticides or contamination. For cake decorating, buying edible flowers from a food supplier is the safest choice.

Which V herbs and spices are best for a small spice cupboard?

For most people, vanilla extract and a versatile spice blend such as vadouvan are the most useful. Vietnamese coriander is worth adding if you cook lots of fresh noodle dishes, soups and salads.