Purchase whole spices when possible and grind them only as you need them. Consider buying a coffee grinder to use just for spices. Other tools include mortar and pestle, pictured, as well as graters for whole nutmeg. Herbs versus spices Deciding whether a seasoning is a spice or an herb is a matter of custom and of regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. But generally, spices are considered to come from tropical aromatics, such as pepper, cinnamon and cloves, and tropical seeds, such as poppy and mustard seeds.
Herbs are the leaves of temperate-zone plants.
These are the five most consumed spices of 2000. Cut pineapple rounds into quarters. Heat oil in large skillet. Remove spice bundle before serving. You might also try serving it with thin Chinese egg noodles tossed with sesame oil.