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Herbs are the leaves of the plant, while spices come from the roots, bark, and seeds. Essentially, any part of the plant that is not a leaf and can be used for seasoning would fall into the spice category. Some plants have both: like cilantro (the leaves) and coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant).
Keeping this in consideration, what is the difference between an herb and a spice?
Herbs are the leaves of the plant, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, or cilantro. Spices, on the other hand, come from the non-leafy parts, including roots, bark, berries, flowers, seeds and so on. Cilantro leaves are an herb while the seeds, coriander, are a spice.
Secondly, is Pepper an herb or a spice?
Peppers -- Herb of the Year 2016. You may wonder why peppers (Capsicum) are the Herb of the Year — are peppers an herb? The definition of an herb is: any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume.
Oregano is a Mediterranean spice that masquerades as a herb. The name oregano is derived from the Greek words oros, for “mountain,” and ganos, for “joy” or “splendour.” According to legend, the Greek goddess Aphrodite created aromatic oregano as a symbol of joy and grew it in her garden on Mount Olympus.