At once familiar and exotic, spices are rare things, comforting us in favorite dishes while evoking far-flung countries, Arabian souks, colonial conquests and vast fortunes. John O'Connell introduces us to spices and their unique properties, both medical and magical, alongside the fascinating histories behind both kitchen staples and esoteric luxuries. A tasty compendium of spices and a fascinating history and wide array of uses of the world’s favorite flavors—The Book of Spice: From Anise to Zedoary reveals the amazing history of spices both familiar and esoteric. John O’Connell’s erudite chapters combine history with insights into art, religion, medicine, science, and is richly seasoned with anecdotes and recipes. Discover why Cleopatra bathed in saffron and mare’s milk, why wormwood-laced absinthe caused eighteenth century drinkers to hallucinate and how cloves harvested in remote Indonesian islands found their way into a kitchen in ancient Syria. Almost every kitchen contains a bottle of cloves or a stick of cinnamon, almost every dish a pinch of something, whether chili or cumin. The Book of Spice is culinary history at its most appetizing.

A revealing look at the history and production of spices, with modern, no-nonsense advice on using them at home. Every home cook has thoughts on the right and wrong ways to use spices. These beliefs are passed down in family recipes and pronounced by television chefs, but where do such ideas come from? Many are little better than superstition, and most serve only to reinforce a cook’s sense of superiority or cover for their insecurities. It doesn’t have to be this way. These notes On Spice come from three generations of a family in the spice trade, and dozens upon dozens of their collected spice guides and stories. Inside, you’ll learn where spices come from: historically, geographically, botanically, and in the modern market. You’ll see snapshots of life in a spice shop, how the flavors and stories can infuse not just meals but life and relationships. And you’ll get straightforward advice delivered with wry wit. Discover why: Salt grinders are useless Saffron is worth its weight in gold (as long as it’s pure) That jar of cinnamon almost certainly isn’t Vanilla is far more risqué than you think Learn to stop worrying and love your spice rack.

Annotation Aliza Green provides a fully-illustrated guide to spices, creating 50 spice blends, and 50 recipes using flavor profiles from around the world.

The many spice and aromatic plants are arranged in alphabetical order of their botanical relevance. It includes all species which have been cultivated for the above purposes. It also covers species whose usage has long ceased or which are used only rarely or have become wild. In total over 1400 plants have been collated. The register of literature has been designed to facilitate the study of a specific plant or spice. Works both on botany and agriculture, and on chemistry, pharmacodynamics and usage have been considered.