Spices & Seasonings

Spices and seasonings are the dried plant parts, salts, blends and fungi that flavor food in small amounts. The group covers whole and ground spices, dried herbs, salts, dried mushrooms and truffle oils, salts and sauces.

How to choose Spices & Seasonings

  • Whole or ground. Whole spices such as peppercorns and caraway hold their flavor 3 to 4 years. Ground ones last 2 to 4.
  • Single spice or blend. A blend saves measuring but fixes the proportions, and most blends fade within 1 to 3 years.
  • Dried herbs. Dried leaves like basil and parsley lose aroma fastest, also within 1 to 3 years. Keep every jar in a dark cabinet or drawer, never above the stove, dishwasher or microwave.

About Spices & Seasonings

Spices and seasonings start, in US labeling law, with a narrow definition: a spice is an aromatic plant substance, whole, broken or ground, whose main job is to season food. Its essential oil must not have been removed, and it must be true to its name. By that rule, cinnamon, ginger, pepper and turmeric all qualify.

Some spices also color food. Paprika, turmeric and saffron count as both, so a US ingredient list has to name them or call them spice and coloring.

Salt sits beside the spices but is a different thing. One kind is what remains when seawater evaporates; another is mined from old deposits and refined. Plain salt of either kind keeps indefinitely in a dry place, which no ground spice can claim.

At a glance

Made from
Plant parts, salt, dried mushrooms and truffles
Main types
Whole and ground spices, herbs, blends, salts, mushrooms, truffle products
Label terms
Spice, spice and coloring
Unopened
Whole spices up to 4 years, ground slightly less

Spices & Seasonings questions

What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

Herbs are the aromatic leaves of plants, such as parsley, basil, oregano and rosemary, used fresh or dried. Spices usually come from other parts of a plant: cinnamon is bark, ginger a root, cloves are flower buds and black pepper a berry. The difference shows up in storage, since dried leafy herbs fade sooner than whole spices.

How can you tell if a spice is still good?

Use your nose first. A spice worth keeping smells strong, tastes potent and still has bright color. If the aroma is faint, use a little more than the recipe says, and if you can smell nothing, replace it. Writing the opening date on each jar makes the check easier next time.

Why are garlic and onion powder listed by name instead of as spices?

US labeling rules treat onions, garlic and celery as foods rather than spices, even when they are dried and ground, because they have long been eaten as vegetables. So an ingredient list has to name garlic powder or onion powder outright instead of folding them into the single word spices.

Sources: US Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR 101.22); Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; NDSU and University of Illinois Extension.

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