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.
Despite their long tradition spices are subject to international modern scientific research. This has made it necessary to disseminate knowledge to a large audience of interest. The book addresses this need by informing the reader about the complex worldwide use of spice plants. 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 this respect the author has aimed at comprehensiveness. In total over 1400 plants have been collated. The very extensive register of literature has been designed to facilitate intensive study of a specific plant or spice. Works both on botany and agriculture, and on chemistry, pharmacodynamics and usage have been considered. The book is aimed principally at spice and aroma experts, pharmacists, botanists and interested lay persons. But the author also had in mind food chemists, dieticians and agricultural scientists, for whom botany, chemistry and pharmacological aspects may be of interest. It is hoped that those occupied in the spice and aroma industry involved in creating spice blends and the like will also take inspiration from the book.
Many plants have been used for centuries as sources of spices for culinary use. Recently there has been an upsurge of interest in diversifying the range of such spices and in their agronomy, as alternative crops, in both temperate and tropical countries. This book provides a scientific review and guide to the botany and agronomy of the major families of plants used for the production of spices. Contents include: world production and trade; and chapters on Cruciferae, Lauraceae, Leguminosae, Piperaceae, Solanaceae, Unbelliferae, Zingiberaceae, and Minor crops.
A comprehensive survey of the plants that provide food, beverages, spices, and flavorings, this book will serve as an invaluable reference to gardeners, ethnobotanists, nutritionists, culinary professionals, dieticians, and food enthusiasts. This scientifically accurate guide will allow them to identify all the major plant-derived foods and flavors, research culinary uses, and understand their dietetic and nutritional properties. Introductory chapters cover the various categories of plant use, including cereals, pulses (legumes), nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, sugar plants, beverages, spices, and flavorings. The core of the volume is an encyclopedic description of more than 350 food and flavor plants in use worldwide, with over 1000 color photographs. This accessible, pictorial guide is a concise source of practical information, not readily available elsewhere, and should be on every food enthusiast's bookshelf.
Plants and plant-derived products make up the bulk of what we eat and drink every day.... This scientifically accurate photographic guide provides quick and colourful answers. Food Plants of the World is a comprehensive overview of the plants that provide us with food, beverages, spices and flavours. It is written in easy language but gives accurate scientific information on the plants and their uses. Cover, page [4]
Spices, scents and silks were at the centre of world trade for millennia. Through their international trade, humans were pushed to explore and then travel to the far corners of the earth. Almost from their inception, the earliest great civilizations - Egypt, Sumer and Harappa - became addicted to the luxury products of far-off lands and established long-reaching trade networks. Over time, great powers fought mightily for the kingdoms where silk, spices and scents were produced. The New World was accidentally discovered by Columbus in his quest for spices. In this book, eminent horticulturist and author James Hancock examines the origins and early domestication and culture of spices, scents and silks and the central role these exotic luxuries played in the lives of the ancients. The book also traces the development of the great international trade networks and explores how struggles for trade dominance and demand for such luxuries shaped the world.
A resource organized by body system lists the key herbal remedies available, their uses, and cautionary advice, in a book that includes full-color photos, a glossary and several thematic indexes.
For centuries herbs and spices have been an integral part of many of the world’s great cuisines. But spices have a history of doing much more than adding life to bland foods. They have been the inspiration for, among other things, trade, exploration, and poetry. Priests employed them in worship, incantations, and rituals, and shamans used them as charms to ward off evil spirits. Nations fought over access to and monopoly of certain spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, when they were rare commodities. Not only were many men’s fortunes made in the pursuit of spices, spices at many periods throughout history literally served as currency. In Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World, Ben-Erik van Wyk offers the first fully illustrated, scientific guide to nearly all commercial herbs and spices in existence. Van Wyk covers more than 150 species—from black pepper and blackcurrant to white mustard and white ginger—detailing the propagation, cultivation, and culinary uses of each. Introductory chapters capture the essence of culinary traditions, traditional herb and spice mixtures, preservation, presentation, and the chemistry of flavors, and individual entries include the chemical compounds and structures responsible for each spice or herb’s characteristic flavor. Many of the herbs and spices van Wyk covers are familiar fixtures in our own spice racks, but a few—especially those from Africa and China—will be introduced for the first time to American audiences. Van Wyk also offers a global view of the most famous use or signature dish for each herb or spice, satisfying the gourmand’s curiosity for more information about new dishes from little-known culinary traditions. People all over the world are becoming more sophisticated and demanding about what they eat and how it is prepared. Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World will appeal to those inquisitive foodies in addition to gardeners and botanists.
In Grow Your Own Spices, author and spice-growing gardener Tasha Greer hands you everything you need to know to grow a thriving spice garden, with practical tips and in-depth advice on cultivating over 30 different spices. Unlike herbs, which consist of the green leaves of certain plants, spices come from the seeds, roots, bark, or berries of plants, which means growing, harvesting, and preparing spices is a lot more nuanced than growing leafy herbs. Start with easy-to-grow seed spices first, such as sesame seeds, fennel, and cumin, then graduate to more challenging spice varieties, such as star anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spices not only offer culinary flare, there’s also increasing evidence of their ability to fight inflammation and reduce various health risks. Medical usage tips from expert herbalist Lindsey Feldpausch are found throughout the book and offer well-researched advice on how to use homegrown spices to improve your well-being. Regardless of whether you’re using spices as a health-boosting supplement or simply to power-up the flavor of your meals, purchasing spices is an expensive proposition. Why pay all that money when you can grow your own organic spices with the easy-to-follow advice found here? In the pages of Grow Your Own Spices, you’ll learn: How to cultivate your own saffron, the world’s most expensive spice The best way to tend tropical spices, like ginger, turmeric, and cardamom, even if you live in a cold climate Easy-to-grow spices that are perfect for beginners The unique way certain spices, such as wasabi, cloves, and cinnamon, are grown and harvested How to cultivate root spices, including horseradish and chicory Tips for harvesting your own capers, mustard, sesame seeds, and even paprika Let Grow Your Own Spices show you how to spice up your garden, your plate, and your health, with your own fresh, homegrown spices!
From tulsi to turmeric, echinacea to elderberry, medicinal herbs are big business—but do they deliver on their healing promise—to those who consume them, those who provide them, and the natural world? “An eye-opener. . . . [Armbrecht] challenges ideas of what medicine can be, and how business practices can corrupt, and expand, our notions of plant-based healing.”—The Boston Globe "So deeply honest, sincere, heartful, questioning, and brilliant. . . . [The Business of Botanicals] is an amazing book, that plunges in, and takes a deepening look at those places where people don’t often venture."—Rosemary Gladstar, author of Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs "For those who loved Braiding Sweetgrass, this book is a perfect opportunity to go deeper into understanding the complex and co-evolutionary journey of plants and people." —Angela McElwee, former president and CEO of Gaia Herbs Using herbal medicines to heal the body is an ancient practice, but in the twenty-first century, it is also a worldwide industry. Yet most consumers know very little about where those herbs come from and how they are processed into the many products that fill store shelves. In The Business of Botanicals, author Ann Armbrecht follows their journey from seed to shelf, revealing the inner workings of a complicated industry, and raises questions about the ethical and ecological issues of mass production of medicines derived from these healing plants, many of which are imperiled in the wild. This is the first book to explore the interconnected web of the global herb industry and its many stakeholders, and is an invaluable resource for conscious consumers who want to better understand the social and environmental impacts of the products they buy. "Armbrecht masterfully manages the challenges and complexity of her source material . . . [She] is a spirited storyteller . . . [and] presents all this with the skill of an anthropologist and the heart of an herbalist."—Journal of the American Herbalists Guild
