# herbs and spices

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316 "2002-12-08T16:51:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![demibold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/fbc32d/32.png) [@demibold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/demibold)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/1 "2002-12-08T16:51:59Z")

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Anyone know the difference between an herb and a spice?

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**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/2 "2002-12-08T17:01:03Z")

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IIRC, an herb is a green leafy thing, used either dried or fresh. A spice is typically a seed, rind, bark, or other non-leafy parts of a plant, and is usually dried before use.

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**Author:** ![andy\_fl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/3 "2002-12-08T17:02:25Z")

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I may be wrong on this - but this is what I think

1\> Herbs are usually the fresh leaves, while spices are fruits/seeds usually dried.

2\> Herbs are from small plants / shrubs while spices can be from trees.

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**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/4 "2002-12-08T18:01:24Z")

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I have also heard of another difference.

Herbs are from temperate regions and spices are from tropical regions.

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**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/5 "2002-12-08T18:09:53Z")

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Looks like kind of a squishy distinction in Encarta. There seems to be a contrast between leafy and non-leafy parts of the plant.

> [@](#):
>
> 1. culinary and medicinal plant: a low-growing aromatic plant used fresh or dried for seasoning in cooking, for its medicinal properties, or in perfumes. Sage and rosemary are herbs.

> [@](#):
>
> 1. aromatic plant substance used as flavoring: any of various aromatic plant substances such as nutmeg and ginger used as flavorings

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**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/6 "2002-12-08T18:25:12Z")

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Herbs - generally shortish, balding men that often have dead end jobs in middle management.

Spices - any of a small number of British singers with great butts and a limited future.

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**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herbs-and-spices/141316/7 "2002-12-08T19:11:35Z")

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Sandy! :eek: 😃