The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, & Flavorings/a Cook's Compendium

I've wanted to own a copy of this book for a very long time! I love the beautiful full color photos included on every page. There is so much to this book! The Table of Contents says so much.... included are the following subjects: Growing, Harvesting, Drying, Preserving and Storing Herbs.... Edible gifts, Kitchen herbs and spices, all explained with color photos too... Flavors of the World, how spices are used in different countries.... Vegetable & Fruit flavorings made using herbs & spices... Extracts, Essences & Sweeteners made using herbs & spices... Edible leaves & flowers... Oils, Vinegars & Dairy Products using herbs & spices.... Sauces, Preserves & Condiments.. Coffee, Tea, & Spiced Drinks... All of this in an oversized book, with 288 pages. It is just wonderful!

I waited two weeks for this book with much anticipation. Herbs and spices are a big passion of mine and I knew the moment I saw this book, it was a keeper. I just had to have it. It finally arrived today! Boy was I right, this book is an amazing reference for herbs, spices and so much more.On Amazon alone, this fabulous book is rated a 5 star with 51 customer reviews. But I didn't have to look at the stats to know that The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, & Flavorings is more than a great reference book. It definitely lives up to its sideline: A Cook's Compendium. Each herb or spice has a little history, info on how to cultivate and store, cooking tips plus a recipe. And to boot, there are exceptional full-color photographs on every page. No doubt, this is one of the best compendiums (collections) of herbs and spices for the culinary enthusiast.Moreover, this incredible book is comprised of extracts and essences, flavorings like garlic or wasabi, edible leaves and flowers, sauces, condiments and near 200 recipes from around the world.My only displeasure with the book is the lack of medicinal reference. To me, herbs and spices are for good health, healing and aromatic cuisine. Please know, this is a small complaint. I am an herbalist, and my expectations are high. This book is designed for cuisine and not as a medicinal reference.The Amazon price was very reasonable. In fact, I paid more for shipping than I did for the actual book. If I had known the shipping was going to be so high, I would have ordered another book. But it was still worth the price. I bought the book used so I got a good deal. Plus it is in impeccable shape. A few pages bent slightly, that's it.

First of all, I love all the beautiful color photos of herbs and spices. The descriptions are wonderful. Each herb or spice featured has tips such as how to store, cooking tips, what tastes good with this item and a recipe for that item.There is a flavors of the world section that describes what that region's influences, flavorings, ingredients and meals are. Then you move on to the vegetable and fruit flavorings section which includes mushrooms, extracts and flavorings, sugars and so on.The section on edible leaves and flowers is fun. It shows some flowers you can eat and how to use them. I have made some floral waters from this book; very good. I am confident now using different nut and seed oils, as well as making my own flavored vinegars. The last section is on coffee, tea and spiced drinks. Very informative.If you love to cook, or just find out more about the spices in your own cupboard, I think you will really enjoy this book.

If you had this book, you'd know that Agar-Agar is a seaweed and Zahtar is a blend of sumac, roasted sesame seeds, and ground thyme. Encylopedia indeed! I purchased this book to learn about herbs and spices so that I could cook flavorful while cutting salt, fat, mayo, and other bad things in my diet. If you only get one one kitchen reference on this subject, make it this one. I started giving this book as a gift to friends and family and now they're giving it as a gift as well. It's divided into the following sections:-Introduction-Kitchen Herbs-Kitchen Spices-Flavors of the World (Characteristics of the world's cuisines)-Vegetable and Fruit Flavorings-Extracts, Essences, and Sweeteners-Edible Leaves and Flowers-Oils, Vinegars, and Dairy Products-Sauces, Preserves, and Condiments-Coffee, Tea, and Spiced Drinks'Nough said. Buy this book, you can't beat the price and you'll love the content! Check out the sample pages for a glimpse of what you're in for.

i must say this book is by far the best i've seen yet as far as a reference. if your looking for a cookbook, although it has a few excellent recipes in it, this is not what this book is about. It's purpose is to inform about herbs,spices, and flavors, just like the cover says. It is formatted so that it makes it easy to find the information you are looking for, not like having to read a whole page just to find a simple bit of info. And yes i would say it covers it all, from fresh herbs, spices, vinegars, honey, tea, coffee, and more. So if you need a reference type book, i highly recommend this book, you wont be disappointed.

I would like to thank you. This book is such wonderful condition it looks brand new. I’m so glad I bought this. ❤️❤️I let someone in the family “borrow” my book and that was it. So I’m glad I got this. Thank you Sandy

I first purchased this book back when it was in the first printing because of a recommendation from the book column in Science News magazine. I've spent many evenings sitting and reading this book, and using what I've learned when I play in the kitchen.This is one of those infrequent books that educate you while you're not even realizing you are being educated. It's definitely a fun read.As another commenter mentioned... I've gifted this book to a few friends, and now they are gifting the book to their friends.If only it were still in print.......

The book is a few years old but still new condition and, of course, the information doesn't really change. I'm very pleased with it. It's full of comprehensive information on pretty well everything on herbs and spices. Excellent - if you do your own cooking and grow them.

Excellent book.

I have had this book for years...this one was purchased as a gift for a newly marriedwho likes to cook. Its full of good information clear and concise, I would fully recommendthis book. Good illustrations with everything you need to know per page.

Good

A useful guide to understanding herbs and spices.