Spice
A spice is the seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are a leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are sometimes used in medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics or perfume production. For example, vanilla is commonly used as an point in fragrance manufacturing.
A spice may be usable in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried. Generally, spices are dried. Spices may be ground into a powder for convenience. A whole dried spice has the longest shelf life, so it can be purchased & stored in larger amounts, making it cheaper on a per-serving basis. A fresh spice, such(a) as ginger, is commonly more flavorful than its dried form, but fresh spices are more expensive and gain a much shorter shelf life. Some spices are non always available either fresh or whole, for example turmeric, together with often must be purchased in ground form. Small seeds, such(a) as fennel and mustard seeds, are often used both whole and in powder form.
Although health benefits are often claimed for spices, there is non currently good evidence for this.
India contributes to 75% of global spice production. This is reflected culturally through their cuisine; historically, the spice trade developed throughout the Indian subcontinent, as living as in East Asia and the Middle East. Europe's demand for spices was among the economic and cultural factors that encouraged exploration in the early modern period.