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The Grammar of Spice
Even the most enthusiastic cooks and food lovers have jars of dusty powders inhabiting kitchen cabinets long past their expiration dates. We often don’t know much about them, where they come from, or how to use them. And yet, spices can elevate the everyday act of making and consuming food to a higher plane of experience.
Spices have played an intrinsic part in the human story, running through history, geography, anthropology, politics, religion, culture, art, and design. From alligator pepper seeds, which in the Yoruba culture are given to newborn babies to taste a few minutes after birth, to charoli seeds, which are used in traditional Indian desserts eaten during the festival of Holi, and caraway seeds, which were added to medieval love potions, each spice has its own significance in the lives of the people who use it.
The Grammar of Spice is a practical resource for cooks that also changes the way we understand the role spices play in defining not only our food but also our place in the world. Featuring custom illustrations for each of the more than sixty spices featured here—inspired by the work of Owen Jones, one of the great designers and travelers of his time—this beautiful, informative book celebrates the world of flavors that spices open up to us.
Spices have played an intrinsic part in the human story, running through history, geography, anthropology, politics, religion, culture, art, and design. From alligator pepper seeds, which in the Yoruba culture are given to newborn babies to taste a few minutes after birth, to charoli seeds, which are used in traditional Indian desserts eaten during the festival of Holi, and caraway seeds, which were added to medieval love potions, each spice has its own significance in the lives of the people who use it.
The Grammar of Spice is a practical resource for cooks that also changes the way we understand the role spices play in defining not only our food but also our place in the world. Featuring custom illustrations for each of the more than sixty spices featured here—inspired by the work of Owen Jones, one of the great designers and travelers of his time—this beautiful, informative book celebrates the world of flavors that spices open up to us.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 23, 2024
Beautiful book with lots of information on common & rare spices and their uses
October 20, 2017
It does for spices what Herbarium did for herbs and other medicinal plants. The spices are arranged alphabetically using their scientific name (or at least genus, if there are multiple commonly used varietals.) and includes a brief history, modern uses, the spice's origin, and a handful of other tidbits. The title is a play on Owen Jones' The Grammar of Ornament; a double homage, as each spice is paired with a design motif from that comprehensive little tome.
It's part cookbook, part history lesson, part folklore. Herbarium was innovative and eye-catching, and just the thing I was seeking when I was younger and wanting to understand the lure of herbs. The Grammar of Spice holds its own.
It's part cookbook, part history lesson, part folklore. Herbarium was innovative and eye-catching, and just the thing I was seeking when I was younger and wanting to understand the lure of herbs. The Grammar of Spice holds its own.
September 9, 2020
Reference book on common spices. Each entry is accompanied with beatiful art and tries to match the art to the origin of the the spice. Its not the exhuastive reference book on spices but its a good place to start.
June 12, 2018
Lovely book and pleasant on the eye with interesting information and great designs. I have not read it cover to cover but by dipping into it have learnt more about the spices I use and those I have never yet encountered -- it makes me want to take the train to Brighton and visit my favourite spice shop! Not many books enthuse you to get up and make you want to discover how to practically apply what you have learnt.
December 9, 2018
I thought I knew my spices. Turns out, there are a lot I need to experiment with.
This isn't a cookbook. It's just a beautiful book about spiced from around the worls, where they're from, and what you can do with them.
This isn't a cookbook. It's just a beautiful book about spiced from around the worls, where they're from, and what you can do with them.
April 19, 2018
Beautiful book - and very interesting. I'm a pretty adventurous cook but I'd never heard of a lot of the spices. The recipes for the spice blends will probably be the thing I use the most though.
May 24, 2018
An encyclopedia of spices and a most beautiful book to look at.
July 3, 2018
Best book on spices I've come across
April 26, 2020
Really beautiful book, lots of interesting information
July 23, 2020
I enjoyed it. A really pretty book full of colorful patterns, plus some interesting info on spices
August 8, 2021
Prob. the best book you can get on spices
June 15, 2026
An encyclopedia about all the different spices that can be found in every corner of the world.
Y'all, imagine my surprise when I opened this book for the first time and a strong, spicy, delicious smell came out of the page... HOW???!!! I still don't know if it was an actual smell or my brain was tricking me, but everytime I opened it, no matter where, the page fucking smelled of spices. However that happened, I loved it.
That said, this book is very interesting to read, but is also not what I expected. I wanted a book to teach me about how to use spices for everyday food preparation (the science behind mixing flavors and whatnot) but, aside from a few simple recipes on the side of every page (and the appendix at the end), there wasn't much to study from. This focused more on the history of every spice.
Y'all, imagine my surprise when I opened this book for the first time and a strong, spicy, delicious smell came out of the page... HOW???!!! I still don't know if it was an actual smell or my brain was tricking me, but everytime I opened it, no matter where, the page fucking smelled of spices. However that happened, I loved it.
That said, this book is very interesting to read, but is also not what I expected. I wanted a book to teach me about how to use spices for everyday food preparation (the science behind mixing flavors and whatnot) but, aside from a few simple recipes on the side of every page (and the appendix at the end), there wasn't much to study from. This focused more on the history of every spice.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews