The Complete Handbook of Seasonings & Spices

Chapter 1: Understanding Seasonings & Spices

The Working Definition of a Spice

To use a spice well, you need to know what it is beyond the jar on the shelf. A spice is any dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring, or preserving food. This separates it from an herb, which comes from the leafy green parts of a plant. Cinnamon is a bark. Cumin is a seed. Turmeric is a root. This botanical distinction matters in practice because the structure of the dried material governs how you need to break it down, how quickly it loses its valuable compounds, and how it behaves in a hot, wet environment. A dried leaf will oxidize and lose flavor faster than a hard seed or bark, and its cellular structure makes it easier to leach out flavor at lower temperatures. Black peppercorns, for example, are dense and resinous, protecting their volatile oils effectively for years. Parsley and dill, on the other hand, are brittle leaves that will show significant flavor loss within months if stored poorly.

The phrase "seasoning" is broader. It is a prepared mixture of spices, herbs, salts, sugars, and sometimes flavor enhancers or anticaking agents designed for a specific application. You do not buy "seasoning" in the same way you buy a spice; you buy a blend that has been formulated by someone else, be it an industrial food manufacturer, a regional spice mill, or a restaurant group. The distinction is the same