On Friday, June 23, 2017 at 8:00:14 AM UTC-4, Sheldon wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Jun 2017 03:30:17 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> > wrote:
>
> >On Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 4:31:46 PM UTC-4, cshenk wrote:
> >> Cindy Hamilton wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> >>
> >> > On Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 12:41:21 PM UTC-4, Janet wrote:
> >> > > In article >,
> >> > > says...
> >> > > > Subject: Have Your Tastes in Food Changed?
> >> > > > From: Cindy Hamilton >
> >> > > > Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
> >> > > >
> >> > > > On Thursday, June 22, 2017 at 6:19:33 AM UTC-4, Ophelia wrote:
> >> > > > > [quoted text muted]
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > I do I don't understand the desperation to cover up the
> >> > > > > flavour of whatever people are cooking.
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > I use herbs and seasoning and that is fine for us
> >> > > >
> >> > > > It's not about covering up. It's about enjoying the flavor of the
> >> > > > spices. I enjoy plain chicken. I enjoy curried chicken. It's
> >> > > > all good.
> >> > > >
> >> > > You can also use some spices to enhance the natural flavour
> >> > > of food, so subtly that the spice used can't be tasted let alone
> >> > > identified. Cumin has that effect in amny stews and soups; a grate
> >> > > of nutmeg into frying mushrooms makes tham taste more mushroomy;
> >> > > cardamom invisibly enhances many cakes and milk puddings. A clove
> >> > > or two infused in the milk used for bread sauce.
> >> > >
> >> > > I'm sometimes struck in rfc by Americans using the word"spice"
> >> > > for ingredients I'd classify as a herb. In UK English herbs and
> >> > > spices are two distinct groups, the terms are not interchangeable.
> >> >
> >> > Depends on the American. In my lexicon:
> >> >
> >> > Herb: leaves and relatively tender stems of plants
> >> > Spice: seeds, bark, pods, roots, and other plant parts
> >> >
> >> > Of course, some sort of flavor component is implied. Rice is a seed,
> >> > but it's not a spice.
> >> >
> >> > Cindy Hamilton
> >>
> >> Matches. Not sure what to do with lavender or rose flowers though!
> >
> >I'd say herb. Thinking of lavender in Herbs de Provence.
> >
> >Cindy Hamilton
>
> Rose petals are neither herb nor spice but extract of rose petals is
> attar which is used as a flavoring such as in rose water/perfumes.
> Rose hips would be an herb, used for brewing a tea, also a source of
> Vitamin C.
> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attar
> The leaves of lavender would be an herb but not the flowers.
> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lavender
> https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herb

So what would you call the flowers when used in cookery? They
appear to satisfy definition 2 of herb.

Cindy Hamilton