Herbs A Global History

Series: Edible (Reaktion Books)

By: Gary Allen(Author)

166 pages, 37 colour photos and illustrations, 30 b/w illustrations

Publisher: Reaktion Books

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ISBN: 9781861899255 Hardback Apr 2012 Not in stock: Usually dispatched within 6 days
£12.99
#198436

Price: £12.99

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About this book

You can't make pesto alla Genovese without basil or a Mojito without mint. You can use peppermint to settle an upset stomach, ease arthritis pain with stinging nettles, and heal burns and wounds with aloe vera. And then there is cannabis, perhaps the most notorious herb of all. Despite the fact that herbs are often little more than weeds, cultures around the globe have found hundreds of uses for them, employing them in everything from ancient medicines to savoury dishes. While much has been written on cooking and healing with herbs, little has been told about the history of the plants themselves and the incredible journeys they have made.

These often overlooked plants have become a staple in our lives. Unlike spices that quickly traversed the globe through trade, herbs were often hoarded by their cultivators and were central to distinctive regional dishes. Herbs: A Global History examines herbs in new ways, making it essential reading for any serious foodie. Filled with beautiful illustrations and delicious recipes, Herbs: A Global History will complete the kitchen library.

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Biography

Gary Allen has written many food-related articles and is the author of The Herbalist in the Kitchen (2007).

Series: Edible (Reaktion Books)

By: Gary Allen(Author)

166 pages, 37 colour photos and illustrations, 30 b/w illustrations

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Media reviews

"Allen's tone is breezily informative [...] the book lives up to its subtitle by reaching beyond the usual suspects of European herbs, endlessly regurgitated in herbal literature from Theophrastus onwards, to embrace herbs from Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas, and cultural differences in the way herbs are used."
– TLS

"A lavishly illustrated hardback, scarcely bigger than a bar of chocolate which at under a tenner has to be an ideal gift. Allen's information-packed little book will send the recipient either scurrying to the kitchen to try his unfamiliar recipes or into the garden to plant up some of the exotica he describes [...] definitely a book I am glad to have on my shelves."
– Herbs magazine

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