Spice or Herb?
An ingredient by any other name…..might not be the same! How to tell if it’s an herb or a spice.
SPICE IT UP
A spice is usually a dried portion of a plant used to add flavor to a dish. Some spices come from the plant’s bark (cinnamon), berries (allspice), roots (ginger), seeds (fennel or dill), flower buds (cloves), and more.
“HERBAN” LEGENDS
Culinary herbs, on the other hand, are the leafy portions of a plant, and can be dried or fresh. Herbs are ingredients like basil, bay leaves, parsley, cilantro, rosemary and thyme.
WHEN HERBS AND SPICES COLLIDE
Some plants yield both herbs and spices. For example, cilantro is the herb of the same plant that provides coriander seed. And the herb dill weed also comes from the same plant that provides dill seed (a spice).