The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs: History, Botany, Cuisine

by Chartwell Books

Overview

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs shows you the origins, traditions, and contemporary culture of more than 450 fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, herbs, and spices.

From roots and shoots to almonds and zucchini, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs delectable guide which reveals the intriguing stories of the world's favorite food plants. Go on a gorgeously illustrated tour through the gardens of the world and discover why this is the explorative home cook's best friend.

This guide is splashed with hundreds of appetizing images and written by top culinary and horticultural experts. You will never want for the geographical origins of produce, botanical facts, traditional uses, and culinary tips for hundreds of plants again!

Throughout the lively narrative, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs tempts us with layers of information, including:

• The little-known geopolitical role of food plants
• How agriculture caused cities to blossom
• How the taste for spices drove global exploration and conquest
• Our endeavors toward a green future 
• Legends and lore of natural remedies
• The lineage of regional classics such as Italian tomatoes, Irish potatoes, Hawaiian pineapples, and Hungarian paprika

Take this bounty of knowledge, combine it with 500 mouthwatering photographs, and savor a scrumptious resource of useful information and fascinating reading!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785834885
Publisher:	Chartwell Books
Publication date:	01/26/2017
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	7.87(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.25(d)

About the Author

BARBARA SANTICH is a Professor at the University or Adelaide, Australia, where she designed the curriculum for the Graduate Program in Gastronomy and developed its core courses in the history and culture of food and drink. She also teaches in the university’s Food Writing course. Her interest in food and eating was stimulated by her early studies in biochemistry. She has been a food writer for almost 30 years, and has written six books as well as contributing to numerous publications, including Australian Gourmet Traveler,The Journal of Gastronomy, and Petits Propos Culinaires.
 

GEOFF BRYANT is a  New  Zealand-based  horticultural  writer and photographer and was a plant propagator and nurseryman for some 10 years. He has written a total of 12 books, including several widely sold plant propagation handbooks, as well as numerous magazine articles illustrated with his own photographs. He has been a technical editor, writer, and/or photographic contributor to a large number of major plant and gardening titles. Geoff's photographs can be seen at his image library website, www.cfphoto.com, and he is also represented by several stock photo libraries.
 

Table of Contents

Foreword 11

Part 1 From Plants to Food

Gatherers to Growers 14

Staple Foods 22

Food Trade, Exploration, and Conquest 28

High-Flying Foods 46

Green Future 52

Part 2 A Directory of Edible Plants

Fruits 60

Vegetables 138

Grains 212

Nuts 230

Herbs 248

Spices 274

Plants Used in Beverages 302

Plant Sugars and Other Products 322

Reference Section

Nutritional Tables 336

Glossary 348

Index 352