Tom Stobart's extensively researched, alphabetical reference guide to herbs, spices, and flavorings, quite literally, defines good taste. Illustrated throughout, this comprehensive volume discusses nearly four hundred different herbs, spices, and flavorings found all over the world.From Almond to Zedoary, each entry includes a detailed description of native uses, origins, and history; magical, medicinal, and scientific uses; and botanical, native, and popular names. There are also knowledgeable assessments of the gradations in taste and intensity, and the effects of cooking, freezing, pickling, and maturing on every spice, herb, and flavoring covered -- a feature all cooks will surely appreciate.