In terms of flavouring, at least for economic impact, herbs have tended to play second fiddle to spices. The majority of herbs need to be used fresh, their flavour chemicals tend to be volatile. As a result, herbs, typically, are grown locally, added fresh and used towards the end of cookery. Which is not to say that they're not important in cookery. They can be vital and some combinations, like French fines herbes, herbes de provence or bouquets garnis are key to the flavour profile of a dish.

Culinary herbs are typically added fresh towards the end of cooking though dried herb blends such as herbes de provence are available. Most herbs lose their potency on drying. The exception being oregano, which is typically superior dried as opposed to fresh.

Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs generally refers to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while spices are usually dried and produced from other parts of the plant, including seeds, bark, roots and fruits.

Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, aromatic and in some cases, spiritual. General usage of the term "herb" differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs; in medicinal or spiritual use, any parts of the plant might be considered "herbs", including leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark (and cambium), resin and pericarp.

In botany, the term herb refers to a herbaceous plant, defined as a small, seed-bearing plant without a woody stem in which all aerial parts (i.e. above ground) die back to the ground at the end of each growing season. Usually the term refers to perennials, although herbaceous plants can also be annuals (plants that die at the end of the growing season and grow back from seed next year), or biennials. This term is in contrast to shrubs and trees which possess a woody stem. Shrubs and trees are also defined in terms of size, where shrubs are less than ten meters tall, and trees may grow over ten meters. The word herbaceous is derived from Latin herbāceus meaning "grassy", from herba "grass, herb".

Culinary herbs are distinguished from vegetables in that, like spices, they are used in small amounts and provide flavour rather than substance to food.

Herbs can be perennials such as thyme, oregano, sage or lavender, biennials such as parsley, or annuals like basil. Perennial herbs can be shrubs such as rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), or trees such as bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) – this contrasts with botanical herbs, which by definition cannot be woody plants. Some plants are used as both herbs and spices, such as dill weed and dill seed or coriander leaves and seeds. There are also some herbs, such as those in the mint family, that are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.

For more information on culinary herbs, please visit this site's herb guide where you will find information on over 100 herbs.