cells. Some dry spices are as much as 15%
essential oil by weight, and many are 5–10%.
Fresh and dry herbs generally contain much
less, around 1%, fresh herbs because their
water content is much higher, and dry herbs
because they lose aroma chemicals in the
drying process.
The Flavor of an Herb or Spice is
Several Flavors Combined
As we’ve seen many times and in many foods,
flavor is a composite quality. A ripe fruit may
contain hundreds of different aromatic
compounds; and the same goes for a roast.
Though we tend to think of a particular herb
or spice as having its own distinctive flavor, it
too is always a composite of several different
aroma compounds. Sometimes one of those
compounds predominates and provides the
main character — as in cloves, cinnamon,
anise, thyme — but often it’s the mixture that