Iranian herbs and spices wholesale: cumin, sumac, dried herbs and herbal teas

Iran exports green cumin, black cumin (Bunium persicum), sumac, dried culinary herbs such as mint, dill, fenugreek leaves and tarragon, and herbal teas such as borage flowers, Shirazi thyme and chamomile. Buyers should order against a clear specification for purity, moisture, volatile oil, microbiology and pesticide residues. On ASL Market you can compare listings from Iranian growers and processors, settle the specification in chat and pay through escrow. For saffron, see /buy/iranian-saffron-wholesale.

398 listings on ASL Market now, usually $3.00–$100.00 per piece.

Main Iranian herbs and spices

Product	Main areas	Harvest	Notes
Green cumin (Cuminum cyminum)	Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Kerman, Yazd and other dry areas	Late spring to early summer	Seed; whole or ground
Black cumin (Bunium persicum, zireh kermani)	Mountain areas of Kerman and Khorasan	Summer	Darker, thinner seed with a distinct aroma; often wild-harvested
Sumac (Rhus coriaria)	Mountain areas in the west and north-west and other provinces	Late summer to autumn	Sold as ground sumac or whole berries; sour, deep red
Dried mint, dill, tarragon, savory, fenugreek leaves	Many provinces	Spring to autumn	Leaf herbs for cooking; colour and aroma are key
Shirazi thyme (Zataria multiflora, avishan)	Southern provinces such as Fars	Spring to summer	Strong thyme aroma; for tea and cooking
Borage flowers (gol-e gavzaban)	Gilan, Mazandaran	Spring to summer	Dried purple flowers for herbal tea
Chamomile and other herbal tea plants	Several provinces	Spring to summer	Dried flowers and leaves for infusions

Specification and lab tests

Spices and dried herbs are natural products and vary by season and region. Buy against a written specification and a lab report on the lot, and keep a sealed sample.

Parameter	Why it matters
Purity and foreign matter (stones, stems, other seeds)	Weight you pay for, and food-safety risk
Moisture	Mould risk in storage
Volatile oil content (for seeds such as cumin)	Aroma strength and value
Total ash and acid-insoluble ash	Signs of sand, soil or adulteration
Microbiology (total count, moulds, Salmonella, E. coli)	Food safety; some buyers need steam-sterilised product
Pesticide residues	Must meet the limits of the importing country
Ethylene oxide (for some markets, such as the EU)	Not allowed for sterilisation in some markets
Colour and absence of added dyes (sumac, ground spices)	Detects colour adulteration

Whole, cleaned, ground or sterilised

Many Iranian processors offer spices in several forms: raw machine-cleaned seed, sortexed or double-cleaned seed for industry, ground product, and steam-sterilised product for buyers with strict microbiological limits. State the form and the cleaning standard you need, for example 99% or 99.5% purity for cumin.

Sumac is mostly sold ground, with or without added salt. Ask for sumac without added salt or colour if your market requires pure product, and check the label.

Packaging, MOQ, shelf life and storage

Price depends on product, purity, volatile oil, form (whole, ground, sterilised), crop year and quantity.

Seeds and ground spices: usually 20–25 kg multi-wall paper or PP bags with an inner liner, or cartons.
Leaf herbs and flowers: usually cartons or bags with liner, often 5–20 kg because they are bulky.
Retail: jars, pouches or tea bags under the buyer's label on request.
MOQs usually start from a few hundred kilograms for specialities and from one tonne or more for cumin.
Shelf life is usually about 12–24 months in cool, dry, dark storage; ground spices lose aroma faster than whole.

HS codes, documents and shipping

Classification of herbs depends on the plant and its use, so check the full code with your customs broker. Usual documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, and a health certificate and lab analysis for food markets. Import rules differ by country; check your own country's rules on trade with Iran before you order.

Containers usually leave from Bandar Abbas, often via Jebel Ali. Rail and road routes serve China, Central Asia, Turkey and the Caucasus, and Caspian ports serve Russia. See /guides/shipping-routes-from-iran.

Product	Usual HS code (6-digit)
Cumin seed, whole	0909.31
Cumin seed, crushed or ground	0909.32
Sumac	Often 0910.99 (other spices)
Dried herbs and flowers for teas or medicinal use (borage, thyme, chamomile)	Often 1211.90
Dried culinary leaf herbs	Often 0712.90 or 1211.90, depending on the product

How to buy herbs and spices on ASL Market

Browse /categories/asl_herbal_natural, or post a buying request at /post-request with product, form, purity, lab limits, packing, quantity and destination. Chat with suppliers through ASL Market; your contact details stay private.

The supplier confirms price, quantity, freight, Incoterm and ship-by date before you pay, and adds the checked freight to the invoice. Payment is in USDT today; more payment methods are coming soon. ASL Secure Pay holds the payment until you confirm receipt, or until it is confirmed automatically after a set period if you neither confirm nor dispute. ASL Market decides disputes and may grant a partial refund. See /trade-assurance.

Listings

Sage Herbal Infusion — ≈ $3.50 / pack
Borage Flower Herbal Tea — ≈ $5.00 / pack
Red Berry Herbal Tea — ≈ $8.75 / pack
Thyme Herbal Tea — ≈ $3.25 / pack
Chicory Herbal Tea — ≈ $3.50 / pack
Peppermint Herbal Tea — ≈ $3.50 / pack
Yarrow Herbal Tea — ≈ $3.50 / pack
Lemon Verbena Herbal Tea — ≈ $4.25 / pack
Health Secret Herbal Tea — ≈ $4.00 / pack
Good Feeling Life Herbal Tea — ≈ $4.00 / pack
Borage Blend Herbal Tea — ≈ $5.25 / pack
Chamomile Herbal Tea — ≈ $4.00 / pack

FAQ

What is the difference between green cumin and Iranian black cumin?

Green cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is the common cumin seed. Iranian black cumin (Bunium persicum, zireh kermani) is a different plant with a darker, thinner seed and a sweeter, more delicate aroma, often wild-harvested in the mountains. It is not the same as nigella, which is also sometimes called black cumin.

What purity should I ask for in Iranian cumin?

Industrial buyers often ask for 99% or 99.5% purity, machine-cleaned or sortexed. Also set limits for moisture, volatile oil, ash and microbiology. Ask for a lab report on the lot.

Is Iranian sumac pure?

Ground sumac is sometimes sold with added salt, and colour adulteration is a known risk. Ask for sumac without added salt or colour if your market requires it, and request a lab test for colourants.

Can I buy steam-sterilised spices from Iran?

Some Iranian processors offer steam-sterilised spices for buyers with strict microbiological limits. Ask about the sterilisation method and for a microbiology report. Some markets do not allow ethylene oxide treatment.

What is the HS code for cumin?

Whole cumin seed is HS 0909.31 and crushed or ground cumin is 0909.32 at the six-digit level. Check the full code with your customs broker.

Which Iranian herbal teas are available wholesale?

Common products are dried borage flowers, Shirazi thyme, chamomile, dried mint and Damask rose buds. They are sold loose in bulk or packed under the buyer's label. See /buy/damask-rose-and-rose-water for rose buds.