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• Cooking School
• Measuring Tips
• Common Kitchen Tools
• Common Cooking Terms
• Herbs & Spices
• Cookware
• Slow Cooker Tips
• Substitution Tips
• Entertaining
• Food Equivalents
• Dig into Casseroles
• What is a Casserole?
• Campbell and Casseroles
• Creative Twists
• Easy Meal Options
• Main Dish
• Side Dish

Generally, a herb is defined as the leaf and tender stem of a plant used to flavor food. A spice is usually made from the dried part of a plant, for example the roots, seeds, fruits or flowers. The combination of these two is what gives a dish its personality, and learning to use them properly is a key factor in your cooking success.

Buying Tips: When purchasing fresh herbs, look for brightly colored, fresh-looking leaves without any brown spots or signs of wilting. Herbs are the aromatic and flavorful leaves of herbaceous plants (plants with stems that are soft rather than woody). They are available fresh or dried, but can be easily grown in the home garden or on the kitchen windowsill. Even dried herbs and spices can lose their flavor punch, so buy small amounts of those you use infrequently.

Storage: Fresh herbs are perishable, so just buy small amounts at a time. For the short-term, put them in water like flowers; cover leaves loosely with a plastic bag or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. If the stems aren't long enough for that, simply wrap them in plastic wrap and keep in the crisper drawer of the fridge. They will last from two days (basil, chives, dill, mint, oregano) to five days (rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme).

Store your herbs and spices in a cool, dry place in tightly covered containers. Don't store them above the range because the heat and moisture from cooking will cause them to deteriorate more quickly. Leafy herbs and ground spices can remain flavorful for up to 2 to 3 years, whole spices for up to 4 years.

Spice Blends: Spice blends, available in the spice section of the supermarket, have the advantage of convenience. Spices are the ground or whole seeds, bark, roots, fruit, or flowers of plants.

Herb or Spice	Common Form	Culinary Use
Allspice (spice)	whole, ground	fruit dishes, stews, pumpkin pie, spicy baked goods
Basil (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	Italian dishes, pesto, salads, soups, stews, tomatoes
Bay leaf (herb)	whole dried	sauces, casseroles, meat dishes
Caraway (spice)	whole seeds	cheese, bread, pickling, pork, vegetables
Cardamom (spice)	pod, whole seeds	Scandinavian baking, spiced wine, pudding
Celery seed (spice)	whole seeds	potato salad, pickles
Chervil (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	salads, sauces
Chives (herb)	fresh, dried, frozen	eggs, sour cream, salads, cottage cheese, dips
Cilantro (herb)	fresh	Mexican and Thai dishes, salsa
Cinnamon (spice)	whole sticks, ground	baking, meat, sauces, pickles, custards, cocoa
Cloves (spice)	whole, ground	hot beverages, ham, baked goods, vegetables
Coriander (spice)	whole seeds, ground	Scandinavian baking, pickling, curry blends
Cumin (spice)	whole seeds, ground	chili, curry, chili powder
Dill seed (spice)	whole seeds	dill pickles
Dill weed (herb)	fresh, dried	salads, vegetables, meat,fish, sauces
Fennel seed (spice)	whole seeds, ground	soups, curry, meat, baked goods
Mace (spice)	ground	fruit pies, puddings, baked goods, vegetables
Marjoram (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	salads, sauces, cooked green vegetables, meat
Mint (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	beverages, lamb, fruit, cooked vegetables, salads
Mustard (spice)	whole seeds, ground	sauces, pickling, dressings, meat, cheese dishes
Nutmeg (spice)	whole, ground	egg dishes, baked goods, custard, eggnog, fruit
Oregano (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	Italian dishes, pizza, cheese, vegetables, salads
Paprika (spice)	ground	used as garnish and in savory dishes, such as goulash
Parsley (herb)	fresh, dried	sauces, eggs, butter, fish, meat
Pepper, black and	whole, ground	used in almost all types of savory white (spice)
Red cayenne pepper (spice)	ground	adds heat to vegetables, meat, eggs, sauces
Rosemary (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	soups, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, dressings
Saffron (herb)	whole threads	Spanish breads, bouillabaisse, paella
Sage (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	cheese dishes, salad dressings, pork, beans
Savory (herb)	fresh, dried	pâtés, soups, meat, fish, beans
Tarragon (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	French dishes, sauces, chicken, fish
Thyme (herb)	fresh, dried, ground	vegetables, meat, soups, sauces
Turmeric (spice)	ground	curry, mustard, noodles, rice