The substances added to other foods to enhance their flavor and smell, such as salt, pepper, herbs, spices, oils, and vinegars to name a few. Although the term "seasoning" and "flavoring" are most often considered to be the same, to some they are separate terms. However, it is generally felt that any substance that can be added to a recipe to provide the desired flavor, such as sweet, spicy, intensely hot, sour, tangy, or earthy, is added as a seasoning.

Similar to seasonings and flavorings, spices and herbs can be used interchangeably, since a spice can be a herb and vice versa. However, in addition to the common seasonings there are others that may be considered as more of a flavoring.