Types of Spices and Herbs
The great variety of herb and spice flavors are produced from nearly all parts of plants, from the leaves to the roots. Among those producing fragrant leaves are basil , rosemary , sage , savory, tarragon , and thyme, all of which are small annual or perennial plants. Bayleaf, or sweet laurel , used to flavor meats, sauces, and vinegars, comes from a shrub or tree. Among the many spices derived from the ripe fruit or seeds of plants are aniseed (see Anise ), caraway seed, chili peppers, coriander seed, dillseed (see Dill ), fennel seed, juniper berry, mustard seed, nutmeg, pepper, poppy seed, and sesame seed. Licorice-flavored aniseed, which comes from Pimpinella anisum, a member of the carrot family, is used whole for baking and as an essential oil in candies and the liquors absinthe and anisette. Juniper berry, used to flavor gin, comes from the low evergreen shrub Juniperus communis. The strongest mustard seed comes from black mustard, Brassica nigra, which was probably the