While botanically a vegetable, garlic is frequently used like a spice.
Garlic's Tricky Classification
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a fascinating ingredient. It's botanically classified as a vegetable because of its bulb, stem, and leaves. However, its culinary use often aligns more with spices or herbs.
- Vegetable: It grows underground like a bulbous plant.
- Spice: Its pungent flavor and aroma make it a common addition to savory dishes in small quantities, similar to many spices derived from roots, seeds, or bark. This is supported by sources that mention garlic being categorized alongside spices in various contexts.
- Herb: Sometimes it's even called a herb, due to its use for flavoring food (although herbs are typically defined as leaves, whereas garlic uses the whole bulb).
The confusion arises from how it's used, not its botanical classification. We use small amounts to enhance flavor, just as we do with spices. This is evidenced by numerous recipes and seasoning blends where garlic is a key component alongside traditionally understood spices and herbs (https://www.worldofspice.co.uk/blog/herbs-for-catering-everything-you-need-to-know-about-garlic/, https://mrsdash.com/product/garlic-herb-seasoning-blend/, https://slowcookergourmet.net/homemade-garlic-and-herb-seasoning/).
One source clearly states: "While Garlic has been named both a herb and spice, it is actually a root vegetable!" (https://www.worldofspice.co.uk/blog/herbs-for-catering-everything-you-need-to-know-about-garlic/). However, this does not negate its common use as a culinary spice.
Therefore, although botanically a vegetable, its flavor profile and culinary application often place it in the spice category.
