A Culinary and Medical Spice Index

Many people use the term spice to include herbs and spices but there is a difference.

Herbs are plants generally grown in temperate climates like the Mediterranean, and tropical regions of Asia. The leaves of different herbs are used for flavoring in dishes depending on the desired regional flavor (i.e. Mexican, Mediterranean, Greek, French, etc.).

Spices come mostly from the East, Middle East, South America and the Caribbean. Often they are ground. They usually come from seeds (i.e. coriander), bark (i.e. cinnamon) or roots (i.e. ginger).

Spices and herbs have tremendous flavor and health benefits.

If you Google “spice index” you will find over 5 million pages to choose from. I’ve done a lot of that work for you. (See how much time and trouble I’ve saved you?)

I have included in my spice index those with which I am most familiar and use most often.

I will start with my favorite herbs. I have added the medical uses for each. Click the links for more info.

Side bar=(Be aware that some of these medicinal uses are based on thousands of years of tradition and have not yet been proven by the relatively new practice of science. I, for one, will trust longevity of use over a relatively new "practice". You must choose for yourself.)=Side bar

Sage is sometimes used to reduce flatulence, abdominal cramps and bloating and diarrhea.

Rosemary aids digestion, circulation, memory, muscle spasms. I adore the smell of rosemary!

Allspice is flavorful and tastes like a combo of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg (in my opinion). It aids digestion, helps control blood sugar and gives mild pain relief.

Turmeric is shown to have anti-inflammatory qualities. It’s good for inflamed joints. It is also shown to lower the chance of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

I’m not sure where the following would fall. They are roots so possibly considered a spice, though also aromatics.