Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World — Ben-Erik Van Wyk

Basil, cumin, curry powder, cilantro, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary… 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 (see About the Author below) 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 w