What is a Spice?

Spices are parts of plants used for flavouring, colouring or preserving food. Various parts of plants such as seeds, bark, root, and buds can be used as spices. Turmeric (root), cinnamon(bark), cloves (buds), saffron (stigma of flower), cumin (seed), and cardamom (seed pod) are some examples of spices we commonly use. We mostly use spices in their dried form, but we can sometimes use them in their fresh form as well.