But what’s a Banana?
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I’ve never had fresh oregano. Something to look forward to?!
A bent yellow thing… A fruit, definitely not a herb. i’m not aware of it being used as a spice, though bananas and close relation plantains have been used in cooking.
We can agree on that.
But this is where it gets a little more complicated. I believe the banana “tree” is in fact a herb. Although the fruit (the aforementioned bent yellow thing) is a berry.
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As I indicated in an earlier post, my understanding of the distinction is that spices are seeds (and/or fruit) and roots. Also, I omitted to mention in previous post, bark (as in cinnamon) and flower (as in saffron). Herbs are leaves (sometimes including other greenery, i…e. stems). So a plant can be used to produce both. Coriander is a good example, with both seeds and greenery used for culinery purposes, each having a distinctive but very different taste.
That doesn’t mean all fruits are spices and all leaves are herbs, that depending on usage, being confined to those that have a distinctive taste, used to flavour food, as opposed to simply being eaten as foods in their own right (fruit and veg). I am unaware of either banana fruit or leaves being used as spice/herb respectively, though the fruit is certainly eaten and the leaves are sometimes used as food wrappings.
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Well, that’s it now. After reading @ColinP and @ChrisSU posts, I’ll have to get some Saffron and give it a try with rice. I know I’m gonna like it because I love a good biryani … or even a mediocre biryani …
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Interesting distinctions … I’m now pondering mace and nutmeg, and the use of lemon / lime / orange peel / zest as flavourings.
Coriander for me.
My QI fact is that Cardamom is the second most expensive spice… in the world.
I use green and black types.
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I’m fussy with a biryani, it’s got to be a good one, the best recipe I’ve found is in Madhur Jaffery’s book Indian Cooking, absolutely to die for, the rest of the book is brilliant too, every recipe just works, highly recommended
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A friend of ours has Madhur"s book. I’ll have to borrow it and try the biryani. And come to think of it, I’ve only made it once, myself, and it didn’t turn out very well. Maybe she has a good aloo gobi recipe in there as well.
Then, of course, I’ll buy the book for myself. I like to cook from a good hardcover cookbook.
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Nutmeg is a seed, and mace is the coating over the seed, so both are spices.
Orange and lemon peel of zest, especially when dried, might not commonly be sold as spices but could be considered as spices, being from fruit and used to flavour food (as opposed to being eaten in their own right).
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Are the varieties we can grow in the UK far removed from the ones you describe? I’m sure I tried growing some many years ago.
During the summer I bought some uk grown ones from the local greengrocer. They didn’t taste of anything unfortunately.
Most other times if sold are usually from the Middle East and Kenya. Onetime when really tasty and “hot” was from Egypt I believe.
I made a chilli dish with these oregano, some cumin etc and with what I thought was just the right amount of hot chillies. Later I think the oily flavours had leached from the oregano to make it hot enough to blow anyone’s head off, and I like things hot. 
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Interesting because I’d never heard of hot oregano. Looking it up it seems likely it’s a Middle East or Indian subspecies, whereas the one I like and use a lot is most likely the variety used in Italy, as it is not hot and evokes the tastes of Italy (alongside, though not as much as, basil).
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We have oregano in the garden. It grows really well and has been there a good few years. If you don’t cut it back too much you can pick a little in the winter. We had some a couple of days ago.
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Oregano is the only herb I can think of that’s better dried.
The Greeks have it growing all over the place - yet dry it before they use it - for the intensification, warming and rounding of the flavour that drying gives - takes off the peppery tone…
(Oh hey - There’s an Emoji for Oregano 
…who knew?? 
)
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Favorite spice: toss up between cinnamon or allspice. The latter is always overlooked but it’s good in cakes, oatmeal, tea, coffee, you name it.
Favorite herb: Sage. It’s not just for pork or onions. Try it in cauliflower & cheese.
But if I was told I could pick only one I’d say none, and give up cooking. Even your favorite actors need a supporting cast.
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I posted Raleigh’s black pepper as a first choice, but Cinamon is a close second. In baked goods, on toast, on Capuccino, on french toast; hell … you could sprinkle it on a turd and I’d eat it …
Chile and fresh basil.