Flavorings From Plants Summary and Analysis

Herbs are plant leaves, used fresh or dried, while spices are bits of dry seeds, barks and roots. Spices lend flavor as well as aroma to foods and have long been sought after, even leading ancient peoples to explore new lands in search of such items. Most herbs and spices are made of flavor materials known as essential oils, the term stemming from the fact that spices and herbs blend better with oil and fat than in water.

The author discusses several herbs, grouping them into three distinct categories, those of the mints, the carrots and other herbs. Mints, of which there are 600 varieties, range from the sweet flavors of peppermint and spearmint to the strong apple flavors of pennyroyal. The carrot family grows in less extreme areas of the Mediterranean and are often milder than the...