To begin with, what is herb and what is spice? What is the difference between them?

According to Wikipedia, herbs are plants with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, in medicine, or as fragrances.  And spices are seeds, fruits, roots, bark or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Thus, unlike spices, herbs can be used not only in cooking. Mind that a plant can be host to both a herb and a spice at the same time (according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac). For example, coriander can be considered both a herb and a spice.

As the purpose of this post is to help you enlarge your English vocabulary, we won’t include the same word in both tables below if some herb/spice can be put in both categories.

HERBS

Although there are dozens, if not hundreds, of herbs used in different parts of the world, we’ve selected some of the most common ones for the table below:

Herb	Picture	Example
Basil [‘bæzl]		Add oil, salt and basil, and stir.
Bay leaf [ˈbeɪ ˌliːf]		Bay leaves offer us a healthy dose of vitamin C.
Caraway [‘kærəweɪ] seeds		Caraway seeds are typically used to add a sweet, earthy flavor to a variety dishes.
Chive [ʧaɪv]		Chives are a nutrient [‘njuːtrɪənt]-dense food.
Cilantro [sɪ’lɑːntrəu]		They say cilantro protects against cardiovascular [ˌkɑːdɪəu’væskjulə] disease.
Dill [dɪl]		Dill is a good source of calcium [‘kælsɪəm].
Fennel [‘fen(ə)l]		Fennel improves skin health.
Garlic [‘gɑːlɪk]		Consuming garlic helps to lower cholesterol [kə’lest(ə)rɔl] levels.
Lavender [‘læv(ə)ndə]		Lavender oil can help to heal bug bites.
Lemon grass		Lemon grass can be used for treating stomachache.
Marjoram [‘mɑːʤ(ə)rəm]		Marjoram contains various compounds that have effective antibacterial [ˌæntɪbæk’tɪərɪəl] properties.
Mint [mɪnt]		Mint is a calming and soothing herb.
Oregano [ˌɔrɪ’gɑːnəu]		Oregano is great for immune system support.
Parsley [‘pɑːslɪ]		They say parsley helps reduce bad breath.
Rosemary [‘rəuzm(ə)rɪ]		Rosemary tastes good in many culinary dishes.
Sage [seɪʤ]		Sage is commonly used for [daɪ’ʤestɪv] digestive problems.
Sesame [‘sesəmɪ]		Sesame seeds are so good for health!
Sorrel [‘sɔr(ə)l]		Sorrel regulates blood pressure.
Tarragon [‘tærəgən]		Tarragon is commonly used in French cooking.
Thyme [taɪm]		Thyme essential oil is often used as a natural cough [kɔf] remedy.

Now, let’s spice up your English even more…

SPICES

Spice	Picture	Example
Cardamon [‘kɑːdəməm] (cardamom)		Cardamon is very strong and aromatic.
Cinnamon [‘sɪnəmən]		Cinnamon is one of the most delicious spices.
Clove [kləuv]		Cloves temporarily treat a toothache.
Cumin [‘kjuːmɪn ], [‘kʌmɪn]		Cumin treats insomnia.
Ginger [‘ʤɪnʤə]		Possible health benefits of ginger include relieving nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, and pain.
Nutmeg [‘nʌtmeg]		Nutmeg oil has been used in dentistry for toothache relief.
Paprika [‘pæprɪkə]		Paprika is good for eye health.
Turmeric [‘tɜːm(ə)rɪk]		Turmeric has been used in Chinese and Indian medicine for millennia.
Chili [‘ʧɪlɪ] pepper [‘pepə]		Chili contains up to seven times the vitamin C level of an orange.
Black pepper		I use black pepper every day.
Vanilla [və’nɪlə] extract [‘ekstrækt]		Vanilla extract may naturally reduce fever.
Wasabi [wə’sɑːbɪ]		The health benefits of wasabi include providing a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease.