Looking for herbs and spices that start with W? It is a surprisingly tasty corner of the alphabet. Some are everyday cupboard staples, such as white pepper and wasabi paste, while others are a little more specialist, such as wattleseed, woodruff and winter savory.

This guide covers the most useful W herbs and spices for home cooks in the UK, with flavour notes, common uses, buying tips and a few money-saving ideas along the way.

Quick List of Herbs and Spices That Start With W

Here is a handy overview before we get into the details.

Wasabi

Wasabi is one of the best-known W spices, though what most UK supermarkets sell as wasabi is often a mix of horseradish, mustard and colouring rather than pure Japanese wasabi root. It still has that familiar sinus-clearing heat, and it is very useful in small amounts.

How to use wasabi

• Stir a little into mayonnaise for sushi bowls, sandwiches or fishcakes.
• Mix with soy sauce, lime and sesame oil for a quick noodle dressing.
• Add to mashed potato or pea purée for a punchy side dish.
• Use wasabi powder in coatings for roasted nuts or crispy chickpeas.

Money-saving tip: wasabi powder often lasts longer than tubes of paste. Mix only what you need with a little water, then let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Watercress

Watercress is usually treated as a salad leaf, but it works like a fresh herb too. It has a peppery flavour that can lift simple meals, especially eggs, potatoes, soups and sandwiches.

Ways to cook with watercress

• Blend into soup with potato and onion.
• Chop into egg mayonnaise or tuna mayo.
• Use instead of basil in a budget-friendly pesto.
• Add a handful to stir-fries right at the end.

Watercress wilts quickly, so use it early in the week. If it is starting to look tired, soup or pesto is usually the best rescue plan.

Water Mint

Water mint is a wild mint found in damp places, though garden mint is easier and safer for most cooks to use. Its flavour is fresh and minty, with a slightly stronger, earthier note than the mint you buy in bunches at the supermarket.

It can be used in mint sauce, herbal teas, jellies and salads. As with any wild herb, only pick it if you are completely sure of the identification and the area is clean and safe.

Wattleseed

Wattleseed is an Australian spice made from roasted seeds of certain acacia species. It is not a standard supermarket buy in the UK, but you may find it online or in specialist shops.

The flavour is often described as nutty, roasted, chocolatey or coffee-like. It works especially well in sweet dishes, but it can also add depth to savoury spice rubs.

How to use wattleseed

• Add a small amount to biscuit or shortbread dough.
• Stir into chocolate cake, brownies or banana bread.
• Infuse in cream for custards, ice cream or panna cotta.
• Use in a dry rub for beef, lamb or roasted root vegetables.

Because it is a specialist ingredient, buy a small packet first. A little goes a long way, and it is not worth paying for a large bag unless you know you will use it.

Welsh Onion

Despite the name, Welsh onion does not mean it comes from Wales. The word is linked to an older meaning of foreign. It is a perennial allium with hollow green leaves, similar to spring onions.

Welsh onion is brilliant for low-cost cooking because it can be grown in a pot and snipped as needed. The flavour is mild, oniony and fresh.

Best uses for Welsh onion

• Sprinkle over noodles, rice bowls and fried rice.
• Stir into omelettes, scrambled eggs and pancakes.
• Add to soups and broths just before serving.
• Use as a garnish for jacket potatoes and chilli.

White Mustard Seed

White mustard seeds are pale yellow rather than pure white. They are milder than brown or black mustard seeds, with gentle heat and a tangy flavour. They are the main seed used in many yellow mustards.

How to use white mustard seed

• Add to pickling liquid for cucumbers, onions or beetroot.
• Toast and grind into spice rubs.
• Use in homemade mustard with vinegar, water, salt and a little sugar or honey.
• Add to curries, chutneys and relishes.

Whole mustard seeds keep their flavour for longer than ready-ground mustard powder. Store them in an airtight jar away from heat and light.

White Pepper

White pepper comes from the same plant as black pepper, but the outer skin of the peppercorn is removed. The result is a paler spice with a warm, earthy flavour. It is popular in white sauces because it adds heat without black specks.

Where white pepper works best

• Mashed potato and creamy soups.
• White sauce, cheese sauce and béchamel.
• Chinese-style soups, stir-fries and marinades.
• Fish pie, chicken pie and creamy pasta sauces.

If you are choosing between ground white pepper and whole white peppercorns, the whole version usually has better flavour. Grind it fresh if you can.

White Sage

White sage is a strongly aromatic herb. It is better known for non-culinary uses than for everyday cooking, and it is much more powerful than common garden sage. For roast dinners, stuffing and sausages, ordinary culinary sage is usually the better and cheaper choice.

If you do use food-grade white sage, use it very sparingly. Its resinous flavour can overpower a dish quickly.

Wild Bergamot

Wild bergamot, also called Monarda or bee balm, is a member of the mint family. It has a flavour somewhere between mint, oregano and thyme, with a light floral edge. It is not the same as bergamot orange, which is used to flavour Earl Grey tea.

Cooking ideas

• Brew the leaves into herbal tea.
• Use chopped leaves with roast chicken or turkey.
• Add to bean salads, lentils or couscous.
• Mix with butter for corn on the cob or baked potatoes.

Wild Celery

Wild celery is the plant behind celery seed, a spice used for its savoury, celery-like flavour. Celery seed is more common in UK spice racks than fresh wild celery, and it is a useful ingredient when you want the taste of celery without buying a full bunch.

Use a pinch in soups, stews, coleslaw, potato salad, tomato sauces and homemade seasoning blends. It is quite strong, so start small.

Wild Fennel

Wild fennel has feathery fronds, yellow flowers and aromatic seeds. The flavour is sweet and aniseed-like. It is especially good with fish, pork and tomatoes.

Using wild fennel in the kitchen

• Chop the fronds into salads, sauces or fish dishes.
• Use the seeds in sausage mixes, pasta sauces and bread.
• Add stems to stocks for a gentle fennel flavour, then remove before serving.

Foraging note: fennel has a distinctive scent, but there are dangerous lookalikes in the wider umbellifer family. Do not pick wild plants unless you are fully confident in the identification.

Wild Garlic

Wild garlic is one of the most popular W herbs in the UK, appearing in woodland areas in spring. It has broad green leaves and a fresh garlic smell. The leaves are the part most commonly used.

Best ways to use wild garlic

• Blend with oil, nuts and cheese for wild garlic pesto.
• Stir chopped leaves into butter for garlic bread or steak.
• Add to soup, risotto, pasta and scrambled eggs.
• Use in scones, savoury muffins or flatbreads.

Wild garlic can be frozen once washed, dried and chopped. You can also freeze it as a pesto or mixed into butter. This is a good way to enjoy the short season without waste.

Food safety note: wild garlic can be confused with plants that are not safe to eat, including lily of the valley and autumn crocus. Only forage if you are certain, and avoid picking from polluted areas or places where dogs are likely to foul.

Wild Ginger

Wild ginger refers to plants with a ginger-like aroma, but it is not the same as the culinary ginger root sold in supermarkets. Some species have safety concerns and are not recommended for casual home cooking.

For normal recipes, stick with fresh ginger, dried ginger or stem ginger. They are inexpensive, easy to find and widely used in food.

Wild Marjoram

Wild marjoram is closely related to oregano and grows in parts of the UK. It has a warm, savoury, slightly floral flavour. In the kitchen, you can use it much like oregano.

Good pairings

• Tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes.
• Lamb, chicken and grilled halloumi.
• Pizza, pasta sauce and focaccia.
• Roasted peppers, mushrooms and beans.

Dried oregano is the easiest substitute and is usually much cheaper than specialist dried wild marjoram.

Wild Rocket

Wild rocket is a peppery leaf often used like a herb. It has a stronger flavour than standard salad rocket, with a slightly bitter, nutty edge.

Use it raw in salads, sandwiches and wraps, or scatter over pizza and pasta after cooking. If a bag is going limp, blitz it into pesto or stir it through hot pasta with olive oil and lemon.

Wild Thyme

Wild thyme is a low-growing herb with tiny leaves and a savoury aroma. It is similar to common thyme, though the flavour can be more delicate and sometimes a little floral.

Use wild thyme with roast vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, lamb, lentils and beans. It is also lovely in homemade bread or savoury scones. If you cannot find it, ordinary thyme is a perfectly good substitute.

Winter Savory

Winter savory is a hardy perennial herb with a peppery, thyme-like flavour. It is stronger than summer savory, so use it with a lighter hand.

Why it is useful

• It pairs beautifully with beans and lentils.
• It adds savoury depth to stews, casseroles and stuffing.
• It works well with pork, sausages and roasted onions.
• It can be grown at home and harvested in colder months.

If you cook a lot of budget meals with pulses, winter savory is worth trying. A small amount can make cheap beans taste far more rounded.

Wintergreen

Wintergreen has a strong minty flavour and is used in some sweets, chewing gums and flavourings. It is not the same as mint, and it is not a herb to use freely in home cooking.

Concentrated wintergreen oil should be treated with caution and kept away from children. For everyday mint flavour in food, garden mint or peppermint is the safer, simpler choice.

Wood Avens

Wood avens, sometimes called herb bennet or clove root, is a wild plant whose roots have a clove-like aroma. It has been used in historical cooking and drinks, but it is not a common modern kitchen ingredient.

If you are interested in traditional herbs, wood avens can be infused into syrups or drinks in small amounts. Most cooks will find ground cloves, allspice or mixed spice easier to buy and use.

Woodruff

Woodruff, especially sweet woodruff, is an aromatic herb with a hay-like, vanilla and almond scent when dried. It is known for flavouring May wine in parts of Europe, and it can also be used in syrups, jellies and desserts.

It is not an everyday supermarket herb, but gardeners sometimes grow it as ground cover in shady spots. Use modest amounts and make sure it is correctly identified if using home-grown or foraged plants.

Wormwood

Wormwood is a very bitter herb associated with absinthe, bitters and vermouth-style drinks. It is not normally used as a cooking herb, and its bitterness can easily dominate food.

For a bitter herbal note in cooking, ingredients such as chicory, radicchio, rosemary or bay are more practical. Wormwood products should be used only as directed, especially where alcohol or concentrated extracts are involved.

Best W Herbs and Spices for Everyday Cooking

If you are trying to keep your food shop sensible, you do not need every W herb and spice on this list. These are the most useful ones for UK kitchens:

• White pepper: excellent in mash, sauces, soups and Chinese-style dishes.
• Wasabi: good for adding heat to mayo, noodles, fish and snacks.
• Watercress: a fresh, peppery leaf that works in soup, salads and sandwiches.
• Wild garlic: free if safely foraged, or sometimes available at markets in spring.
• Winter savory: useful if you cook with beans, lentils and stews.
• White mustard seed: handy for pickles, chutneys and homemade mustard.

Money-Saving Tips for Buying W Herbs and Spices

• Buy whole spices where possible. White peppercorns and mustard seeds keep longer than ground versions.
• Check world food aisles. Spices are often cheaper in larger packets than in tiny glass jars.
• Grow easy herbs. Welsh onion, thyme, mint and savory can all be good value in pots.
• Freeze soft herbs. Wild garlic, watercress pesto and chopped alliums freeze well.
• Avoid buying specialist ingredients for one recipe. Wattleseed and woodruff are interesting, but only worth it if you have a plan to use them.
• Label your jars. Add the purchase date so old spices do not sit at the back of the cupboard for years.

Simple Substitutes for W Herbs and Spices

FAQs About Herbs and Spices That Start With W

What herbs start with W?

Herbs that start with W include watercress, water mint, Welsh onion, white sage, wild bergamot, wild celery, wild fennel, wild garlic, wild marjoram, wild rocket, wild thyme, winter savory, wintergreen, wood avens, woodruff and wormwood.

What spices start with W?

Spices that start with W include wasabi, wattleseed, white mustard seed and white pepper. Some herbs, such as wild fennel and wood avens, can also be used in a spice-like way when their seeds or roots are used.

Is wasabi a herb or a spice?

Wasabi is usually treated as a spice or condiment. It comes from the rhizome of the wasabi plant and has a sharp, mustard-like heat. Many supermarket wasabi products are made with horseradish and mustard rather than pure wasabi.

Is watercress a herb?

Watercress is a leafy vegetable, but it can be used like a fresh herb because of its strong peppery flavour. It is good in soups, sandwiches, salads, sauces and pesto.

What is the most common W spice?

White pepper is probably the most common W spice in UK kitchens. Wasabi is also widely available, especially as paste, powder or coated snacks.

Can I forage wild garlic in the UK?

Yes, wild garlic grows in many parts of the UK, usually in spring. Only pick it if you are completely certain of the identification, take just what you need, avoid polluted areas, and follow local rules. Never eat a wild plant if you are unsure.

What can I use instead of winter savory?

Thyme is the easiest substitute for winter savory. Add a small pinch of black pepper if you want to mimic winter savory’s peppery edge.

Which W herbs are easiest to grow at home?

Welsh onion, mint, thyme, winter savory and rocket are all good options for home growing. They can be grown in pots, which makes them useful for small gardens, patios or windowsills.