List of Herbs and Spices

Herbs and Spices! List of herbs and spices in English with examples and pictures. Learn these herb names and spice names to improve and expand your vocabulary about fruits and vegetables in English.

If you have a passion for cooking and are in an English speaking supermarket, you are going to be confronted with rows and rows of herbs and spices labelled with their English names. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to read the labels and instantly know what was inside? By learning the English names of herbs and spices, you will easily be able to do this. It is important to note than in some cases the American and British versions may differ, for example in America they would use the word Cilantro, whereas in Britain the same herb would be referred to as Coriander.

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Herbs and Spices

What are Herbs and Spices?

Herbs refers to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), they are used for food, flavoring, medicine, or fragrances for their savory or aromatic properties. A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food.

Any plant with flowers, leaves, or seeds that can be used to flavour food, used in medicine, or put into perfumes is considered to be a herb. When it comes to cooking, herbs are usually ground up into a powder form so that they can be easily sprinkled onto or into food. The herbs provide extra flavour.

Like herbs, spices are also used in powder form during cooking. But unlike herbs, spices are a strong-smelling vegetable substance. When food is described as ‘spicy’, it makes your mouth feel hot and encourages you to drink water with your meal. Spices are mostly present in curries, but you can incorporate them into any recipe to give the food more flavour or heat.

Cilantro/coriander
Artichoke
Rosemary
Bay leaves
Mint leaves
Basil
Clove
Olive
Shallot
Turmeric
Garlic
Ginger
Onion
Spring onions/green onions
Lemongrass
Chives
Green chili

Herbs and Spices Names with Pictures and Examples

Cilantro/coriander

Fresh cilantro/coriander is readily available in most supermarkets.

List of Herbs and Spices | Names of Spices and Herbs in English 2

Artichoke

Artichoke leaf has been shown to lower cholesterol.

Rosemary

They were served lamb and rosemary and she surprised herself by eating greedily.

Bay leaves

Bay leaves are very helpful to our health.

Mint leaves

When your stomach feels sick, drinking a cup of tea from mint leaves can give you relief.

Basil

It’s the basil that gives the sauce its essential character.

Clove

Clove oil has a numbing effect in addition to bacteria-fighting powers.

Olive

She likes olive because it symbolizes peace.

Shallot

They blend deliciously with garlic, shallots , basil, tarragon, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, and cumin, and are often combined with olives, peppers, and Spain.