Using different types of spices in your cooking can turn a bland dish into a one bursting full of flavor and aromas. There are all sorts of spices you can use in many cuisines from around the world. The list of aromatic spices is almost endless.

Understanding the Context

Spices are generally considered plant materials that are whole, broken or ground and used for flavor, not nutrition. Herbs are most often leaves of plants. These leaves can be used fresh or dried, while spices are almost always dried. Your spice drawer is a treasure chest of zippy, zesty, sweet, savory and spicy flavors.

Key Insights

One of the best qualities of herbs and spices is the variety of flavors you can add to foods without adding salt. Here’s a guide on the flavor profiles of common spices and how to season with them. Explore our list of spices and herbs, spice names, and flavor profiles to deepen your culinary knowledge and create vibrant dishes. Each of the different types of spices names is listed alphabetically, making it easier to find the herbs & spices you're searching for. With so many different types of spices and culinary herbs, our list of spices names will help you find what you're looking for.

Final Thoughts

30 Types of Spices: Ultimate List of Spices with Pictures and Names Spice and herb, parts of various plants cultivated for their aromatic, pungent, or otherwise desirable substances. Spices and herbs consist of rhizomes, bulbs, barks, flower buds, stigmas, fruits, seeds, and leaves. Herbs and spices add layers of flavor to cuisines around the world. And while often used interchangeably, these two terms are distinctly different. Herbs are aromatic leaves ( know more about fresh to dried herb conversion) while spices are the dried fruits, roots, seeds or bark of plants.