I always thought herbs and spices were the same and the two words could be used interchangeably.

It was brought to my attention after my previous post that herbs and spices are different.

Both are obtained from plants and are used to add flavor and aroma to foods.

Herbs are obtained from the leaves of herbaceous plants and spices are obtained from roots, flowers, fruits, seeds or bark.

The herb wheel I wrote about earlier does not differentiate between herbs and spices and refers to both as an herb.

Just in case you are wondering, salt is not a spice or an herb. It is a mineral.