PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sterilization method for preventing the color fading of a spice; and to provide a spice having lower numbers of microbes, hardly causing color fading.SOLUTION: The method for heat sterilizing a spice with its own moisture includes the steps of: (1) filling a semi-sealed container with a water-containing spice; and (2) heat treating the spice in an atmosphere with moisture evaporated from the spice, at a product temperature of 65 to 130°C.