Aromatic herbs and spices used in today’s cuisine have ancient origins. In past centuries, cooking salt was considered a precious ingredient and therefore was not available to everyone. These aromatic herbs and spices had a great role in the kitchen to improve recipes by flavouring them, colouring them and, above all, enhancing the flavours.

Often these two ingredients are confused, but despite their function, they are very distinct.

The term “aromatic herbs” (aromas or “smells”) refers to herbs or vegetables (leaves and stems) that can either be cultivated or found in the wild. Typical examples of aromatic herbs are bay leaf, basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, etc.

Aromatic herbs, in addition to giving off pleasant fragrances, bring numerous nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are useful in digestion.

With the term “spices”, dry products are obtained from different parts of the plants (bark, roots, fruits, seeds, etc.). Among the best known are pepper, wild fennel, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and sesame.

Spices have many beneficial properties and, in addition to enriching the flavours of food, they offer valuable, natural aids to digestion, intestinal balance, and possess numerous antioxidant properties.