Spices are usually added to food to lend flavor, color, or preservative properties.  But spices don’t end there.  They are commonly used for many other purposes, including medicinal, religious rituals, perfume, and cosmetics.  Spices can be derived from the following plant sources:  arils (e.g., mace), barks (e.g., cinnamon, cassia), dried buds (e.g., cloves), dried fruit or seeds (e.g., fennel, mustard, black pepper), resins (e.g., asa foetida), roots and rhizomes (e.g., turmeric, ginger), and stigmas (e.g., saffron).    Herbs are similar to spices in that they are commonly used to enhance the flavor of food; however, the main difference is that while spices come from different […]...

Read More →