Spice: The History of a Temptation [Paperback]

In this brilliant, engrossing work, Jack Turner explores an era—from ancient times through the Renaissance—when what we now consider common condiments were valued in gold and blood.

Spices made sour medieval wines palatable, camouflaged the smell of corpses, and served as wedding night aphrodisiacs. Indispensible for cooking, medicine, worship, and the arts of love, they were thought to have magical properties and were so valuable that they were often kept under lock and key. For some, spices represented Paradise, for others, the road to perdition, but they were potent symbols of wealth and power, and the wish to possess them drove explorers to circumnavigate the globe—and even to savagery.

Following spices across continents and through literature and mythology,Spiceis a beguiling narrative about the surprisingly vast influence spices have had on human desire.

Includes eight pages of color photographs.

One of the Best Books of the Year:DiscoverMagazine,The Christian Science Monitor,San Francisco Chronicle “Spiceis an erudite and engaging account of how foodstuffs can change the flow of history.” –New York Times Book Review

"Jack Turner handles his subject with discernment and confidence, his style appropriately brisk and animated. . . . Impressive and reassuring is his combination of sympathetic understanding and tough-minded rationalism. Although he never condescends to the past, neither does he ever blur the line that separates fascinating lore from the objective truths of science." –Los Angeles Times


“A nifty grab bag of a book. Entertaining and informative.” –San Jose Mercury News


“A hugely enjoyable book, written with erudition, style and wit.”–New Scientist


“Spiceis deliciously rich in odors, savors, and storiel³.