Spices have been used in cooking around the world for thousands of years - they can transform a simple meal into a feast for the palate, and add surprising flavours to virtually any dish. Their history is just as surprising - did you know that nutmeg was once worth more than its weight in gold; dockworkers in 16th century London were paid their bonuses in cloves; or when the Visigoths captured Rome in 410 AD, they demanded 3,000 pounds of peppercorns as ransom? This richly illustrated handbook provides a wealth of knowledge about organic spices, their cultivation, their storage, and how to use them when cooking. Sorted by their different flavour notes, from mild and harmonic to spicy, the organic spices are each presented in a short profile, followed by more than 100 appetizing recipes for every taste and occasion.