In the usual understanding, spices are flavoring and aromatic food additives of plant origin. In fact, spices should be considered a group of products intended for flavoring food, improving the taste and aroma of products, as well as changing the consistency of dishes. They can be either natural (salt, agar-agar, gelatin, herbs and vegetables, etc.) or obtained artificially (synthetic substitutes for spices and herbs). This publication will introduce readers to the variety of spices, their main characteristics, and tell about history of distribution, processing and production technology, use in cooking, folk and traditional medicine.