A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems from plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Sometimes, spices may be ground into a powder for convenience. Many spices have antimicrobial properties. This may explain why spices are more commonly used in warmer climates, which have more infectious diseases, and why the use of spices is prominent in meat, which is particularly susceptible to spoiling. Spices are sometimes used in medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics or perfume production, or as a vegetable.
The spice trade developed throughout South Asia and Middle East by at least 2000 BCE with cinnamon and black pepper, and in East Asia with herbs and pepper. The Egyptians used herbs for mummification and their demand for exotic spices and herbs helped stimulate world trade. The word spice comes from the Old French word espice, which became epice, and which came from the Latin root spec, the noun referring to "appearance, sort, kind": species has the same root. By 1000 BCE, medical systems based upon herbs could be found in China, Korea, and India. Early uses were connected with magic, medicine, religion, tradition, and preservation.
Top Spice Producing Countries
(in metric tonnes)
| Rank |
Country |
2010 |
2011 |
| 1 |
 Â India
|
1,474,900 |
1,525,000 |
| 2 |
 Â Bangladesh
|
128,517 |
139,775 |
| 3 |
 Â Turkey
|
107,000 |
113,783 |
| 4 |
 Â China
|
90,000 |
95,890 |
| 5 |
 Â Pakistan
|
53,647 |
53,620 |
| 6 |
 Â Iran
|
18,028 |
21,307 |
| 7 |
 Â Â Â Nepal
|
20,360 |
20,905 |
| 8 |
 Â Colombia
|
16,998 |
19,378 |
| 9 |
 Â Ethiopia
|
27,122 |
17,905 |
| 10 |
 Â Sri Lanka
|
8,293 |
8,438 |
| — |
World |
1,995,523 |
2,063,472 |
| Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organization |
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