Herbs

plants · cooking · nature

Leaves and flowers. Herbs are the leafy green or flowering parts of plants that we use fresh or dried. They're different from spices, which come from other plant parts like seeds, bark, roots, and fruits.

Flavor and garnish. Cooks use herbs to add delicious, savory flavors to food and to make dishes look prettier on the plate. Basil on pizza, mint on desserts, and oregano in pasta sauce are all herbs making food taste better.

Medicinal powers. For thousands of years, people have used herbs to help them feel better when they're sick. Many modern medicines are actually based on herbs that healers discovered long ago.

Wonderful scents. Some herbs smell so amazing that people use them to make perfumes and fragrances. Lavender and rosemary are two herbs that smell absolutely wonderful.

Found everywhere. Herbs grow in many different parts of the world and are used in cooking almost every culture on Earth has its own favorite herbs to cook with.