Culinary Herbs and Spices of the World - Hardcover

Van Wyk, Ben-Erik

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 022609166X ISBN 13: 9780226091662

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2014

Synopsis

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. The book 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 flavours, and individual entries include the chemical compounds and structures responsible for each spice or herb's characteristic flavour. Finally, the book 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.

About this title

Review:

"This beautiful, thorough, well-written and -researched text will be of interest in any public or academic library reference collections as well as to chefs, gardeners, lovers of food, culinary adventurers, and anyone who enjoys a good encyclopedia."--Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen "Library Journal, starred review "

"Outstanding. . . . This is the kind of book to be studied and digested, a kind of encyclopedia to pursue and enjoy in your kitchen."--Adele Kleine "Current Books on Gardening and Botany "

"If you're ready to go beyond the basics and delve deeply into the herbs and spices that characterize the world's cuisines, then this scholarly reference is for you."--New York Times

"A substantive work that will be of interest to a wide audience, including botanists, cooks, gardeners, and those with an academic interest in food culture. Introductory chapters cover culinary traditions by region, herb and spice mixtures, propagation, harvesting, and the chemistry of taste and flavor. The bulk of this work focuses on over 150 individual herbs and spices from around the world in alphabetical order by plant name. . . . Overall, this is a useful and impressive general reference guide."--CHOICE

About the Author:

Ben-Erik van Wyk is professor of botany at the University of Johannesburg and the author of several best-selling books on plants and plant use.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 022609166X
• ISBN 13: 9780226091662
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320