Question

The parts of the plant which can be used as spices are?
a. Fruit
b. Seed
c. Flower
d. All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Spices are the flavoring agents. Many parts of plants such as seed, fruit, bark, stem, flower can be used as spices. There are mainly six parts of the plants: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and the seeds. The roots, leaves and stems from the vegetative part of plants whereas flowers, seeds and fruits form the reproductive parts of plants.

Complete answer:
Spices are seeds, fruit, root, bark or other plant substance used for flavoring or coloring food. They are different from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers and the stems of plants used for garnishing food.

> Option A:
Fruit can be used as spices due to their yielding oil capacity with water distillation. It can be used medicinally. The fruit’s seeds are used for a variety of purposes like a stimulant, tonic and the pain reliever. For example, fruits like pineapples, mango and figs have the power to burn your mouth when used as unripe, here the fruits are used as spices.

> Option B:
The Seed is used as spices and can be majorly used in the form of flavors. Maximum seed spices used are cumin followed by coriander, fennel, fenugreek, again, celery, dill, anise etc. These are the seasonal crops and grown extensively in the food rotation and also as mixed crops under irrigated conditions.

> Option C:
Flower can be harvested and dried, used as spices. The best-known of the dried flowers is cloves called as laung. Many of the aromatic flowers of a tree can be used as spices. Cloves are extensively used as cooking spice in Indian families.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: Fruits like piper nigrum (black pepper), seeds like brassica junco (mustard seeds), eugenia caryophyllata (cloves) are used as spices. These are used in cooking, flavoring materials and tonics for drinks. The reproductive parts of a plant like fruit, seeds are usually flavoring agents. These are also used as preservatives. Flowers help the spices to give odour.