The Lore of Spices

The Lore of Spices explores familiar and exotic spices from Europe, East Indies, and the New World, as well as salt and sugar. The author is Jan-Öjvind Swahn, and the publisher is Barnes & Noble, Inc. (1997). The book was a gift from my sister, who knows of my interests in cooking and plants, and is a wonderful reference for many of the spices we use to flavor food, drink, perfume, and other products.

The overview to the book defines the term “spices” and provides a brief history of spices and the spice trade. The rest of the book provides interesting botanical information and cultural history for each of the spices. The cultural history includes plenty of intrigue, price-fixing, imperialism, and lore. The book is lavish with graphics, photos, botanical art, maps, charts, and facts.

I used The Lore of Spices, as one of my sources to research all of this month’s articles on holiday cooking (starting with, Holiday Cooking – Vanilla). I was especially intrigued with the “new world” spices, and how they have been introduced as crops in other countries in the world with similar climates. If you are interested in cooking, plants, or history, you may be interested in The Lore of Spices.