This is the essential guide to using herbs and spices to add flavour and depth in the kitchen. This book guides the reader through all aspects of herbs and spices, including where they originate and their rich history, how they are grown, harvested, and dried and stored. Each entry explains the essential properties of the herb or spice as well as its culinary uses. Recipes are given to illustrate the use of key herbs and spices. If variety is the spice of life, herbs and spices are the way to add colour, flavour, aroma and a dash of the exotic to everyday meals and authenticity to ethnic and regional cookery. This guide provides the essential information for using herbs and spices from all over the world in classic dishes and combining new flavours with flair. The Connoisseur's Guide to Herbs & Spices provides an extensive directory of more than 100 herbs and spices used in the kitchen, including the savoury aromas of culinary classics such as basil, cilantro and paprika, as well as the sweet spices used in baking: nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and more.