A reference on spices, herbs, and seasonings, this edition explains trends in the marketplace and provides a functional approach to creating flavors and seasonings for foods and beverages. It also includes additional spices and spice blends, basic formulations for seasoning blends, and information on medicinal properties of spices.

While many reference books on spices include alphabetized descriptions, the similarity between this book and others ends there. More than just a list of spices, this book covers each spice's varieties, forms, and the chemical components that typify its flavor and color. The author includes a description of spice properties, both chemical and sensory, and the culinary information that will aid in product development. She also explains how each spice is used around the world, lists the popular global spice blends that contain the spice, describes each spice's folklore and traditional medicine usage, and provides translations of each spice's name in global languages.