About
Editorial standards
These are the rules every page on SPICEography follows. They are written for readers who want to know how far to trust a figure, and why a page sometimes says “not yet measured” instead of giving a number.
How a page is checked
Every checkable statement on a page is traced to a source before it is published: history and origin, botany, chemistry, production figures, how a spice behaves in cooking, storage and shelf life, health and safety, and every number. Each statement ends up in one of five states:
| Status | What it means | What the page does |
|---|---|---|
| Verified | A qualifying source supports it as written | Kept and cited |
| Corrected | A source shows it is wrong or overstated | Replaced with the sourced version and cited |
| Untraceable | No credible source can be found either way | Removed, or described as a widely repeated claim without support |
| Disputed | Credible sources answer the same question differently | Both answers shown, each with its source, never averaged |
| Editorial | Flavor description or cooking judgment | Kept if reasonable, never presented as fact |
Untraceable is not the same as wrong. For many figures that circulate online, the strongest honest statement is that nobody can show where they came from.
Which sources count
In order of preference: peer-reviewed research and systematic reviews; governments and regulators (such as the FDA, USDA and its FoodData Central database, EFSA, Germany’s BfR, the UK Food Standards Agency, CFIA and FSSAI, and WHO and FAO, including Codex); standards bodies (ISO, ASTA); botanical authorities (Kew’s Plants of the World Online, GRIN); university extension services; established reference works; and bylined writing from established food publications. A spice merchant’s page is used only for its own product or as that merchant’s stated view.
When the original study cannot be opened, a page may cite a review or news release that reports it, and says whose figures they are. SEO content sites, AI-generated or unbylined aggregator blogs, and sites known to invent ratios are never used.
Every figure keeps its scope. A measurement of one cultivar is not presented as true of the whole spice, one brand is not presented as the market, and one lot is not presented as every lot.
Substitution ratios
Each ratio on a substitute page carries one of four labels:
- Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship (for example salt crystal density, or fresh versus dried herb weight), with the source named.
- Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio, and the page quotes it as theirs.
- Disputed: named sources give different answers for the same swap. The page shows each answer and offers a labeled starting point.
- Method: no credible number exists. The page gives a direction and a starting point to adjust from, and says so.
Ratios are never invented to fill a gap.
Health and safety
Pages state only what the evidence supports and say what kind of evidence it is: a lab study, an animal study, a human trial or a systematic review. No page claims that a spice treats, cures or prevents a disease. Summaries from regulators and from the US National Institutes of Health are preferred over single studies. Safety findings name a brand only when a regulator or a peer-reviewed study names it, and they quote that source.
Food safety guidance, such as safe cooking temperatures and the rules for garlic or herbs stored in oil, comes from the USDA, the FDA and university extension services. Where a named recipe differs from official guidance, the page shows both.
Nothing on SPICEography is medical advice. If you have a health condition, take medication or are pregnant, ask a doctor or pharmacist before using a spice in medicinal amounts.
Recipes and amounts
Amounts on dish and cooking pages come from named recipes, credited to the cook or publication that published them. Where no published recipe gives an amount, the page offers a starting point labeled as such.
Updates and corrections
Each page shows the date it was last reviewed. Corrections are made on the page itself. To report an error or suggest a better source, see the About page.