HERBS and SPICES: Herbs are plants found all around the world and are valued for their flavour, aroma, and healing qualities. In cooking, herbs are usually different from spices. The word herb refers to the soft, leafy, or flowering parts of a plant, while spice comes from the dried parts, such as seeds, bark, roots, or fruits. In botany, an herb is simply a plant without a woody stem—hence the term herbaceous. This page isn’t just about the herbs featured on this website, but also includes a range of spices. Please be patient as we upload more pages covering these important plants.