Dill Weed vs. Dill: What's the Difference?

If you've ever stood in the spice aisle wondering whether dill, dill weed, and dill seed are the same thing, you're not alone.

They're all connected to the same plant—but they're not quite the same ingredient, and they don't taste exactly the same either.

And when you're making pickles, that difference matters.

Is Dill Weed the Same as Dill?

Usually, when a recipe calls for fresh dill, it's talking about the soft, feathery leaves and stems of the dill plant.

Dill weed is another name for those leafy parts of the plant. You'll find it sold fresh in the produce section and dried in the spice aisle.

So yes: dill weed is dill.

But that's not the whole story, because the dill plant also gives us something else we pickle people happen to care quite a bit about:

Dill seed.

Dill Weed vs. Dill Seed

Dill weed and dill seed come from the same plant, but they aren't interchangeable in flavor.

Dill weed has a lighter, fresher flavor. It's great in things like dips, dressings, potatoes, fish and sauces.

Dill seed has a stronger, more concentrated flavor that holds up especially well in brines and pickling.

That's why you'll often see dill seed in pickle recipes—even when fresh dill isn't used at all.

And yes, this is where we become extremely qualified to have an opinion. 😂

Which Dill Is Best for Making Pickles?

There isn't one universal answer because pickle recipes are different.

Some recipes use fresh dill.

Some use dill seed.

Some use both.

The flavor also depends on everything else going into the brine—vinegar, salt, garlic, peppers, spices and, of course, the cucumbers themselves.

For Tru Pickles, dill seed is part of the recipe that gives our Kosher Dills their flavor.

Our ingredient list is refreshingly short:

Cucumbers, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Garlic, Dill Seed and Peppers.

That's it.

No need for a paragraph about herbaceousness. 😉

Can You Substitute Dill Weed for Dill Seed?

You can, but don't expect exactly the same result.

Because dill weed is milder and dill seed has a stronger flavor, swapping one for the other can change the taste of a recipe—especially something like pickles where dill is one of the stars of the show.

If you're following a pickling recipe, we'd stick with whichever form of dill the recipe calls for rather than assuming they're interchangeable.

Your cucumbers have already been through enough.

What Does Dill Actually Taste Like?

This is one of those questions that's surprisingly hard to answer without using a bunch of fancy food words.

Dill is fresh, distinctive and a little grassy, with a flavor that's hard to mistake once you know it.

Dill seed is stronger and a little warmer than the leafy part of the plant.

But put dill together with vinegar, garlic, salt, peppers and a cucumber?

Now we're speaking our language.

So, Dill Weed vs. Dill—What's the Answer?

Here's the easy version:

Dill is the plant.
Dill weed refers to the leafy part of the dill plant.
Dill seed is the seed of the same plant and has a stronger flavor commonly used in pickling.

Same plant. Different parts. Different flavors. Different jobs in the kitchen.

And around here, we're particularly fond of what happens when dill seed meets cucumbers, garlic, peppers and Great-Grandma's recipe.

Curious what all that dill can do? Taste the pickles that started it all.

Open the Jar. Close Your Eyes.