Dictionary of Herbs, Spices, Seasonings, and Natural Flavorings

by Carole J. Skelly

Overview

First published in 1994. Originally, this collection of herb and spice names began as an aid to the ordinary person who had the curiosity to ask, What is that spice? or What is that ingredient listed in the herbal tea on the grocery store shelf? This quick reference dictionary of herbs, spices and seasonings also include botanical plant names, genus and species.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815314653
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/01/1994
Series:	Garland Reference Library of Social Science Series , #918
Pages:	500
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Dictionary; Chapter 2 Special Note; Chapter 3 Families; Chapter 4 Genera; Chapter 5 Sources Consulted;

Editorial Reviews

At first glance this source seems to contain page after page of "see" references. However, it is a carefully researched book on a broad variety of herbs and flavorings with the "see" references emphasizing the variety of names or species of common plants--for instance, dogwood has more than a dozen cross-references The majority of the entries may be found on ingredient labels on grocery-store items ("Caraway", "Sesame", "Vanilla"), with additional entries from cookbooks and other herb and spice books. The descriptions for most are short (two or three sentences), but those that are longer include legends or interesting sidelights. The GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") classification of the FDA is noted as well as an indication of what is or may be toxic The variety of terms included may not be completely reflected in the title of the book. Cambric tea, malted milk, white oak, and daphne are some of the unusual entries. There are a few recipes (chili sauce, pickling spice, duxelles) and charts for curry-powder mixtures and mixed seasonings for various national cuisines and types of food. For all entries, the family and genus are noted, and an appendix lists entries by family and genus There are a number of comparable sources that have illustrations--"The Macmillan Treasury of Spices and Natural Flavorings" by Jennifer Mulherin and "The International Wine and Food Society's Guide to Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings" by Tom Stobart [RBB Ja 1 94]. Even with its lack of illustrations, Skelly's book is a good addition to culinary collections.

Zom Zoms

A reference that describes a wide range of plants used to enhance taste or create flavors, listing their common names and variants as well as their botanical names. It covers terms encountered in cookbooks, herb books, health food stores, spice stores, ingredient labels, and other sources. Organized alphabetically by common name, each entry covers the uses of the plant, physiological effects, and possible risks to health (the first such volume to check for the possible health dangers of edible plants). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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