What is the difference between an herb and a spice?
What is the difference between an herb and a spice?
I would think an herb is from a plant, but then I have no idea what specifically a spice is. Not being much of a cook, they all seem related to me, and I often hear them referred to them all as "herbs and spices".
Best Answer
From fooducate.com
The difference between the two is where they are obtained from a plant.
Herbs come from the leafy and green part of the plant.
Spices are parts of the plant other than the leafy bit such as the root, stem, bulb, bark or seeds.
Examples of herbs include basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley and mint.
From spice-racks.com
Herbs are obtained from the leaves of herbaceous (non-woody) plants.
Spices are obtained from roots, flowers, fruits, seeds or bark.
In some cases both a herb and spice may come from the same plant. Dill is an example of this.
Pictures about "What is the difference between an herb and a spice?"
Quick Answer about "What is the difference between an herb and a spice?"
In broad terms both herbs and spices come from plants but herbs are the fresh part of the plant while spice is the dried root, dried stalk, seed or dried fruit of the plant and is almost always dried not fresh.What is the main difference between herbs and spices?
Oh, at first the categories seem distinct enough: herbs are leafy things, like basil, tarragon, thyme, and cilantro; and spices are seeds, either whole or ground, like coriander, cumin, and anise. Leaves vs. seeds is indeed a simple version of the separation.Is cinnamon a herb or spice?
Cinnamon is a powdered spice that can be made from the bark of a few different trees that fall under the genus Cinnamomum. Spices like cinnamon are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and crushed. Oregano, however, is an herb derived from the herbaceous oregano plant.Is pepper a herb or spice?
An herb is the green, leafy part of the plant. Examples are basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, and oregano. A spice can come from the root, stem, seed, fruit, flower or bark of the tree or plant. Examples are cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, star anise, and tumeric.Is garlic a herb or spice?
Though widely used as an herb or spice, garlic is botanically a vegetable. It offers a variety of health benefits and is a particularly pungent ingredient sure to spice up your favorite dish. Unlike other vegetables, it's less commonly cooked on its own or eaten whole.More answers regarding what is the difference between an herb and a spice?
Answer 2
I got taught that the difference was water vs. fat cooking.
Herbs are water-soluble, meaning their flavor is extracted through cooking with water.
Spices are fat-soluble. They need to be "bloomed" in oil, or cooking with fat, to extract their flavor.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Skylar Kang, Dibakar Roy