Most people often use the words herb and spice interchangeably, but there is a difference.  

The dictionary defines the word herb as, “A flowering plant whose stem above ground does not become woody.”

Spice is defined as, “Any of a class of pungent or aromatic substances of vegetable origin, as pepper, cinnamon, or cloves, used as seasoning, preservatives, e tcetera.”

Okay, but what is the difference exactly?

The difference is where they come from on the plant. Herbs are the leafy part of the plant, (think basil), whereas, a spice comes from the other parts of a plant, such as the stem, bark, seed, fruit or flower of a plant, (think cinnamon). Spices are usually more aromatic as well because they are usually crushed into a powder and contain more essential oils.

Quick Tip

That last sentence also reminded me of a tip. If you can buy your spices whole and grind them as you need them, they will retain their pungency much longer. I own this spice grinder that I keep just for grinding spices, I either grind them as I need them or to do small batches to have enough available for a few weeks.