Spices

food · plants · flavor · cooking

Seeds, roots, bark. Spices come from all kinds of plant parts. Unlike herbs, which are leaves and stems, spices are usually the harder parts like seeds (like cumin), roots (like turmeric), or bark (like cinnamon).

Flavor powerhouses. A tiny pinch of spice can transform a whole dish because spices are packed with strong flavors and aromas. That's why recipes ask for just a teaspoon instead of a handful.

More than cooking. People have used spices for thousands of years not just in food, but in medicine, religious ceremonies, perfumes, and cosmetics. Some spices like vanilla even show up in fragrance factories.

Worth trading for. Spices were so valuable in the past that explorers sailed across oceans to find new sources. Spice traders became rich and powerful because everyone wanted them.

Different from herbs. Both spices and herbs add flavor to food, but they're not the same thing. Spices are made from seeds and roots, while herbs come from the green leaves, flowers, and stems of plants.