Most everyone has heard of the items on this list and likely has them on hand--but when it's time to add something to your meal you might be unsure of which one to add; so here is a quick and easy guide on how to choose the herb that best compliments what you're preparing... and a quick note on the diff between a Spice and an Herb.
What is the diff between a Spice and an Herb??
While the terms herb and spice are used interchangeably by
cooks and in cookbooks, there are distinct differences between the two.
It all depends on what part of the plant is used.
Herbs
In general, culinary herbs are the leafy portions
of a plant, whether dried or fresh. Examples include basil, bay leaves,
parsley, cilantro, rosemary and thyme.
Spices
On the other hand, spices are harvested from any
other portion of the plant and are typically dried. Popular spices come
from berries (peppercorns), roots (ginger and tumeric), seeds (nutmeg), flower buds
(cloves), bark (cinnamon) or even the stamen of flowers (saffron).
Two-fer!
Some plants are generous enough to yield both an
herb and a spice. Cilantro is the leafy herb of the same plant that
gives us the popular spice coriander seed. And dill weed (an herb) and
dill seed (a spice) also come from the same plant.
Personally, I find herbs to be more difficult to pair with the meat or veggies. Pepper, Cayenne, nutmeg, cinnamon and such are easy to figure out... so here is a little help with the herb choice:
SOUP & STEW: Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Basil, Bay Leaf (don't eat this one)
POULTRY: Tarragon, Rosemary, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Basil, Cilantro, Dill
SEAFOOD: Thyme, Cilantro, Tarragon, Basil, Dill
BEEF - PORK - LAMB or GAME: Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Tarragon, Bay Leaf
VEGGIES: Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme, Tarragon, Dill
If you'd like to get more adventuresome, take an afternoon and visit Penzey's in downtown Overland Park (address below) and if you go on a saturday---you can visit the farmer's market!
PENZEY'S
7937 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS
(913) 341-1775
Mon.-Fri.: 9:30AM - 5:30PM
Sat.: 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Sun.: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Sat.: 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Sun.: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Thanks for the herb choice suggestions. I find that cilantro and parsley go very well with veggies as well - in fact they are WONDERFUL in salads!
ReplyDeleteI just made some sprouted sunflower, chia and sesame seed, and coconut flour crackers with organic dried rosemary, sage and paprika that I got from http://maisonterre.net/ and they were Awesome! These are great healthy snacks to keep on hand and munch on with cheese - keeps you away from pre-prepared, packaged, dead food. =)