Cumin is a spice.
Here's a breakdown of why cumin is classified as a spice rather than an herb:
Generally, the distinction between herbs and spices lies in which part of the plant is used and how it's used:
- Herbs: Typically, herbs are the fresh, green, leafy parts of a plant. They are often used in larger quantities than spices.
- Spices: Spices are usually dried and can come from other parts of the plant, such as the roots, bark, seeds, fruit, or rhizomes.
In the case of cumin:
- Cumin comes from the dried seeds of the Cuminum cyminum plant. Since it's derived from the seed, it definitively falls into the spice category.
Therefore, because cumin is the dried seed of a plant, it's accurately classified as a spice.
