Spice: The History of a Temptation

A not so tempting history of spices

Jack Turner's book has been showered with unusual advance praise ('a brilliant, original history of the spice trade'), but its content is of rather mixed quality. The Introduction alone contains numerous errors, beginning with a reference to cloves in Syria 3,700 years (briefly published 20 years ago, but never substantiated) and an incorrect description of a nutmeg (the author failed to notice that nutmeg is not 'surrounded' by the mace, but sits inside a shell). For all the hard work the author put into this, too often he falls for the spectacular and exaggerated in a 'sex-sells' history of spices. While it makes for entertaining reading, it cannot be relied on as a balanced or scholarly piece of work. In contrast, I would recommend Andrew Dalby's 'Dangerous Tastes - The history of spices' - maybe a trifle less thrilling, but written with far greater competence.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A great research on spices and the history of colonialism

It is an informative book on less known facts about European expanssion;
greed, commerce, fashion and the emmergence of a globalized trade that started long time ago, Spices were used from embalming and as a medicine to petfumes, aphrodisiacs and as a 'panaceum universalis' or universal cure. The shrine of mystery as where the spices come from was mentained by traders in order to made them more alluring and desirable.
Well written and researched is a great piece of conversation about less known facts of what we pass by in the well stocked isles of any supermarket.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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