Dalby. Dangerous Tastes : The Story of Spices.

“The hunger for spices and aromatics was responsible for some of the greatest journeys of exploration and colonialism around the world. This book forms a detailed history of all manner of spices, from ginger and sugar, to frankincense and myrrh, to cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, and travels the world from Africa, Russia, the Pacific islands and the Americas, to Russia, Asia and the Far East. The origins of various spices, the history of their discovery, their early use, whether in cooking and food preservation or for their medicinal properties, and the setting up of trade routes moving substances across the world, are all discussed.”