This handy field guide introduces over 35 herbs, spices and aromatics commonly found in Thailand. Each exotic item is described in detail and its country of origin and areas of growth are discussed. Culinary options are given, with tips and how to make the most of these tasty flavorings, and there are four recipes. Illustrated with beautiful color photographs, clearly presented for easy identification, this book is a "must" for lovers of tropical tastes.

Learn the essentials of Asian spices and herbs with this useful and portable reference book. The Handy Pocket Guide to Tropical Herbs & Spices introduces over 35 different herbs, spices and aromatics commonly found in Asia. Each item is clearly presented and described in detail, with notes on its country of origin and areas of growth. Culinary options are also provided, with helpful tips on how to make the most of these tasty flavorings. With four exciting Asian spice recipes for readers to try, this book is an absolute "must" for lovers of tropical tastes. Periplus Handy Pocket Guides are practical field guides, useful for identifying various natural objects ranging from plants and animals to gemstones and seashells. Each page of each title throughout the series is filled with clear, precise photographs and informative text. Scientific and local language names are given.

Florida's best herbs and spices provides profiles of over 90 plants, offering information on cultivation, harvesting and use. Over 180 illustrations and 200 photographs are included, as well as range maps for each species.

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.