What Herbs are and their Uses

The simplest way to define an herb is a plant that has a use for people that is separate from its existence as a plant growing in the soil. When we look in the dictionary, however, the first definition of an herb is: an annual, biennial, or perennial seed-producing plant that dies down at the end of each growing season, as opposed to a tree or shrub that has woody stems and lives for more than a year. This is more of a botanical definition which would call any “herbaceous” plant an herb and include all annual plants, most bulbous plants (such as tulips), and many perennials that are grown only decoratively. This definition leaves out culinary herbs such as rosemary, a shrubby plant, bay leaf, which comes from a tree that can grow up to 40 feet high, and a very important medicinal herb called ginkgo which comes from the ginkgo tree which contains substances that are important for controlling allergic reactions.

What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

Most of the culinary herbs that we use grow in temperate climates. Spices are products of tropical plants usually used in dried form. The American Spice Trade Association defines “any dried plant used primarily for seasoning purposes” as a spice. This includes dried herbs. The American Herb Society, on the other hand, defines an herb as “any plant that can be used for pleasure, fragrance, or physic.” So according to this definition, “spice” covers herbs in the broadest sense because spices are used for pleasure, fragrance, and some for physic (or medicinal) purposes. We can see that there is quite a bit of overlap between herbs and spices.

Uses of herbs

From ancient times, the main use for herbs was medicinal. Herbal medicine stretches back to the dawn of humankind. Knowledge of the healing properties of various plants was handed down from generation to generation. It is fascinating to know that modern science and scientific analysis has confirmed much of this ancient wisdom.

There is some overlap between cooking and medicine, because some ancient people often combined food and medicine. There are many Chinese food recipes that were originally designed to treat disease. An example that we are familiar with is serving chicken soup to someone who is sick. Chinese recipes are much more involved, often including a number of herbs.

Using herbs in the kitchen

In modern times, we usually associate herbs firstly with the kitchen. The aroma and unique properties add flavor to our food. They have become increasingly important in cooking as the world has become smaller and more flavors and spices are used everywhere.

Commercial herb usage

Today, herbs have important uses in the perfume and food industries. Essential oils of many plants are distilled from leaves and flowers and used to manufacture scents, soaps, and skin tonics. Herbs are the main ingredients in some insect repellants. They are added to liqueurs, used to flavor vermouth, and the herb yellow gentian (Gentiana luteum) is one of the main ingredients in Angostura aromatic bitters which was originally created by Dr. Johann Siegert for medicinal purposes in 1824 in Venezuela and then sold around the world.

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