Herbs & Spices: Over 200 Herbs and Spices, with Recipes for Marinades, Spice Rubs, Oils, and Mor

`herbs & spices, the cook's reference' is the latest of eight different books on either herbs or spices by noted culinary editor and author, Jill Norman, one of the more influential disciples of the great English culinary writer, Elizabeth David, who contributed two books of her own to this subject.I chose this book to review since I had a backlog of herb and spice books to review, and I wanted to start with one I could assume to be a standard against which all other books can be measured. The problem with starting with the standard is I'm assuming this role purely on the basis of the author's reputation in the field. I am happy to say that I find virtually nothing in this book to invalidate my holding it up as a standard against which other books on the subject may be judged.For starters, Ms. Norman convinces us at the outset that the difference between an herb and a spice is vague enough around the world to require that we treat the two together, thereby eliminating any chance of leaving something out because it was not thought to be a spice or an herb. Part of this ambiguity is her statement that in the United States, a dried herb is considered a spice. Since Ms. Norman is an expert on the subject, I must assume that there is a faction in America that believes this. She states this to make it clear that her basis for distinguishing herbs from spices is based on the current British thinking on the subject. But, since she is covering both, the issue is academic in this book.Much more interesting is Ms. Norman's separation of the various herbs and spices into a large number of categories based on flavor. Herbs are divided into `Fresh and mild herbs' featuring parsley, `Sweet Herbs' featuring lavender, `Citrus or tart herbs' featuring lemon balm, `Licorice or anise herbs' featuring dill and fennel, `Minty herbs' featuring mint, `Onion herbs' featuring garlic, `Bitter or astringent herbs' featuring celery, `Pungent and spicy herbs' featuring sage, thyme, and cilantro. This division alone is a great service, as it gives us a sound basis for substituting one herb for the other, as when we may need borage, and see that it's in the same class as parsley.A deeper look at this lineup of herbs shows that Ms. Norman is covering a far broader range of species and varieties within species than most other books or sections of books on herbs. Most of us know of two or three varieties of basil. Ms. Norman shows us fourteen, divided between three groups, Genoese and purple basil (Ocimum basilicum), `other basils', and Asian basils. The inclusion of the scientific name is essential in a work like this. The most important need is when you wish to buy seeds to grow these plants, the scientific name is the only way you have to guarantee getting the species or variety you want. If you happen to see seeds for `Asian Basil', know that this could be any one of seven different species or varieties! Within sections such as those for the Asian basils, the pictures in this book really shine, as the pictures of these seven varieties are all on the same page, including stems and flowers in many cases, as many of the leaves from two different varieties are almost identical in appearance.We are especially happy that Ms. Norman has drawn outside the lines in her including several plant species which border on what we think as teas (such as sassafras), salad greens (such as sorrel and celery), or root vegetable (such as horseradish and wasabi). The only lapse I can find in all the material on herbs is that the distinction between the Mediterranean bay is not clearly made from the New World plants often called `bay'.Spices get an equally thorough treatment, being divided between `Nutty spices' such as sesame, `Sweet spices' such as vanilla, `Acidic and fruity spices' such as tamarind, `Citrus spices' such as lemon grass, `Licorice or anise spices' such as anise, `Warm and earthy spices such as saffron, `Bitter or astringent spices such as capers, `Pungent spices' such as chiles, ginger, mustard, and pepper. One of my fondest discoveries in this book is that not only are ginger and galangal shown to belong to two different biological genus, they are categorized as in two different taste classes. These two are commonly mistakenly lumped together.The sections on chilis (genus capsicum) are as vividly colorful as all the others, with a surprise in that the heat in a chili species is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 rather than the better known (in the U.S. at least) Scoville scale.The chapter in this book which makes it the only book you should need on herbs and spices is the one on recipes, featuring combinations for all the world famous herb and spice mixes, and lots you may never have heard of. The very best aspect of this section is that it provides not one recipe for things such as bouquet garni, but seven, for beef, pork, lamb, poultry, game, fish, and vegetables.The very last chapter on general recipes could have easily been left out, as what comes before is more than enough to justify this as the only book you will need on herb and spice usage. One thing some readers may miss and the one thing that may justify a second book in you library dedicated to herbs and spices is one that deals with the history and geography of herb and spice origins. This book will not satisfy your curiosity over how New World Tomatoes joined up with their soul mates, Mediterranean basil.An excellent book and a `must have' for a foodie library.

I loved having this in the kitchen, tested my cooks on their knowledge and they could always go back to it to reup their knowledge or learn more about the herbs and spices we used.

Covers a much neglected topic in American cuisine -- that of spices and flavor. This book as an appropriate balance of scientific, historic, and practical information, it covers many cuisines from around the world, has attractive and accurate drawings and pictures, and it is presented in an orderly and logical manner. Easy to read, informative, and filled with suggestions, recipes, etc.

There is a lot that I love about this book - it is truly encyclopedic in its coverage of herbs and spices. You'd be hard-pressed to find something that isn't in here. Also the photos are huge and gloriously rendered, making it nearly trivial to correctly identify spices and herbs at the grocery store without looking at any signs or labels. Also a nice touch is that if an herb or spice has many commonly used varieties, the book goes into detail about each variety and any differences in flavor, aroma, or preparation. I also like that it gives some common uses for each and some flavors it combines well with - nowhere near as comprehensive or inventive as the Flavor Bible in this regard, but a nice addition nonetheless. I think other reviewers covered the book's strengths better than I can.Now for my critiques:First, it's important to know that despite being an American edition, this book was clearly originally written by a UK author for a UK audience. For my fellow American readers, some terms and phrasings may confuse you (if you were wondering where the scallions / green onions are, they're listed as "Welsh onions"). This isn't much of a gripe, just kind of a minor annoyance at times.I was a bit surprised that the author recommends that most of the herbs be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator - I was under the impression (especially from other well regarded authors) that many herbs are better stored in a jar of water like flowers. But not that big a deal.The book is oddly inconsistent at times - some entries mention whether or not there is a dried version of an herb, for instance, while others don't even make such a mention. For those that do mention whether there is a dried version, not all of them mention whether or not the dried version is any good. Of those that do mention whether the dried version is any good, they don't mention it in the same place - some of them include it in the "parts used" section, others in "Buying and storing," and others yet in "Culinary uses" in the long description. Worse yet, some entries have almost comically vague estimated storage times: "Dried thyme will retain its flavor through the winter." (p. 100) What does that even mean? How long is that? 4 months? 3 months? 5 months?Despite my critiques, this really is an incredible book so I'm only going to dock it 1 star.