Your Spice Rack Is a Botanical Garden
Cumin, coriander, dill, fennel, parsley, caraway, and anise are all in the same family — Apiaceae, the carrot family. Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, and lavender are all in Lamiaceae, the mint family. If your herbs have square stems and opposite leaves, now you know why.
Then there are the loners. Saffron comes from a crocus in the iris family. Vanilla is an orchid. Cinnamon and bay leaf belong to the ancient laurel family. Black pepper is in its own family entirely, unrelated to Capsicum chili peppers despite the shared name.
77 herbs and spices organized by botanical family. The spice rack turns out to be one of the most botanically diverse collections in your home.
Did you know?
- *Vanilla is derived from an orchid, making it one of the most expensive spices and the only commercially important orchid fruit.
- *Black pepper and chili peppers are completely unrelated; black pepper belongs to the family Piperaceae while chilies are nightshades in Solanaceae.
- *Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, and mint all belong to the same family, Lamiaceae, and most share square stems as a family trait.
- *Saffron is harvested from crocus flowers and requires roughly 150,000 flowers to produce a single kilogram, making it the world's most expensive spice by weight.
- *Cinnamon and bay leaves are both members of the laurel family, Lauraceae, one of the most ancient lineages of flowering plants.
What is GuessKin?
GuessKin is a free daily guessing game built on real-world taxonomy. Choose from over 20 categories and try to identify the mystery herb. Each guess reveals how closely related your answer is to the target through a shared classification tree.
How does it work?
Every herb in GuessKin sits on a taxonomy tree — a branching hierarchy that shows how things are classified and related. When you make a guess, the game shows you the nearest common ancestor between your guess and the answer. The closer that ancestor is to the answer, the warmer you are. The tree visualization grows with each guess, narrowing down where the answer lives and helping you triangulate.
How to get the best score
- •Fewer guesses is better. The ideal game is guessing it in 1. Every guess counts against your score.
- •Speed matters too. The timer starts on your first guess. Quick, confident answers are rewarded.
- •Read the tree. Each guess gives you real taxonomic information. Pay attention to which branch the answer is on and which branches you've already ruled out.
- •Start broad, then narrow. Your first guess splits the tree. Pick something that gives you maximum information, then drill into the revealed branch.
Each GuessKin category uses a real classification system. These aren't made-up groupings — they're the same systems scientists and specialists actually use. New categories are added regularly. Every category is free, with no accounts and no ads.