The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, and Flavourings

Greg Turko is a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and
Universities.

This is a book with a wide focus—wider, in fact, than even the title
suggests. In addition to herbs, spices, and flavourings, it includes
sections on oil, dairy products, sauces, preserves, condiments, tea,
coffee, and spiced drinks. There is also a section on “flavours of the
world,” which provides (with limited success) a short synopsis of
various national or regional cuisines by tracing influences of, and by
describing, typical ingredients, flavourings, and meals.

Entries (arranged alphabetically, and usually a full page) are
illustrated with very attractive photographs. (Most readers will find
these photos particularly useful for identifying fresh herbs.) Each
entry includes a short descriptive piece, cooking and storage tips,
forms (e.g., dried, fresh, berries), and “other names” (e.g.,
“benne” for sesame seeds). Some entries also include “tastes good
with” information or a recipe using the ingredient being discussed
(though these seem to be something of an afterthought).

While some readers may categorize this as a coffee- (or, perhaps,
kitchen-) table book because of its size, design, and emphasis on
attractive colour photographs, it is an encyclopedia in content and
organization. For those even remotely interested in food (and
particularly food flavouring), this reference book is both fascinating
to read and useful in the kitchen. It would make an ideal gift.