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(More customer reviews)`The Contemporary Encyclopedia of herbs & spices' by Seattle spice merchant Tony Hill is a great contrast to the previous spice reference I reviewed, Jill Norman's `herbs & spices, the cook's reference' which I stated at the time may be the only book the amateur cook needs as a reference on herbs and spices. Herr Hill's work does not change my original opinion of Norman's book, but that is not because Hill's book is of lower quality than Norman's reference. It is because Norman's work is much more skillfully arranged to serve the average cook.
One of the great virtues of Ms. Norman's book is its arrangement by the general flavor of the spice or herb plant species and variation. Mr. Hill, as his title suggests, is a totally alphabetical arrangement by the most familiar common name for the herb or spice used from the plant. Therefore, Hill's book gives no easy resource for finding an herb that tastes something like borage. Mr. Hill's very personally phenomenological essay on the borage plant and its edible portions suggest it tastes something like mint and goes well with dill.
The single area where Mr. Hill outdoes Ms. Norman is in discoursing on the various types of bay, the one subject on which I gigged Ms. Norman in my review of her book. While Ms. Norman gives us only the classic Mediterranean (Turkish) bay, Mr. Hill cites four different varieties of plant yielding leaves called `bay leaves'. He echos most chef's preference for the Turkish variety, but gives us information whereby the California leaf can be put into service with the proper care to avoid having your recipe develop an aroma of Vicks Vaporub (metaphor stolen from Alton Brown). In the end, Ms. Norman still comes out ahead in the sense that all we really need is the Turkish bay, as I have never seen a recipe specify the California, Indian, or Indonesian varieties of bay. Ms. Norman pulls far ahead when we get to basil, for which she cites fourteen (14) different varieties, many of which are indeed specified in various Mediterranean, Indian, and East Asian recipes.
Ms. Norman is also a far better reference for spice sources (although for some odd reason, she overlooks Pensey's Spices) since Mr. Hill is himself a spice merchant. You would hardly expect a book written by Mr. Starbuck to tell you where to find Maxwell House coffee (I do find it odd, though, that Mr. Hill gives us no information on how to reach his business in Seattle by either phone, mail, or Internet. If it's there, he has hidden it well.). Ms. Norman, being the scholar that she is, also has the better bibliography, although for the casual reader, the two are equally useful.
For herb and spice mix recipes, I find Ms. Norman's selection to be just a bit more useful, although I strongly suggest you get both books for the ways in which the two complement one another. While Ms. Norman gives us six different variations on a bouquet garni, she has but one recipe for a barbecue spice rub, while American Hill gives us recipes for Memphis style, Kansas style, and Carolina style spice rubs plus a Louisiana spice mix for both Cajun and Creole dishes.
The greatest weakness in Mr. Hill's book is the fact that his photographs accompanying each essay are in black and white. All his color illustrations are in a special rotogravure section on their own center section. Ms. Norman's book, on the other hand, is in full color with excellent illustrations accompanying all her information on each species and variety. This is odd, since Ms. Norman's book lists at $30 and Mr. Hill's book lists at $40 U.S.
So, if you must have just one herb and spice book, Ms. Norman's book is the easy choice. But, if you are an avid student of the nuances of herbs and spices, especially if you happen to be a culinary professional who buys herbs and spices wholesale, I strongly recommend you get a copy of Mr. Hill's book. If you also happen to be a foodie who likes interesting talk about all food matters, I also suggest you stop now and click on the little button for ordering this volume. The one to two page essays accompanying each named species or variety is rich with personal experiences with these plant products as well as rare information on coaxing the best performance and value out of your purchases. The fact that they are so personal and immediate makes them that much more interesting to read.
Highly recommended `second book' on herbs and spices.
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The Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices: Seasonings for the Global KitchenComprehensive, international, and up-to-date–the ultimate herb and spice guide for today’s cooksThis exhaustive reference is packed with need-to-know information on more than 350 flavor-enhancing herbs and spices, from basic basil and bay leaves to Kaffir lime leaves, Tunisian five-spice powder, and other exotic seasonings and blends. Written by an international spice merchant who buys directly from growers and knows how to make the most effective use of seasonings, it features 200 color photographs plus descriptions that include Latin names, countries of origin, and guidelines–some with recipes–on how to cook with each seasoning.
Tony Hill (Seattle, WA) is the owner of World Merchants, Spice, Herb & Teahouse in Seattle. The company’s retail and wholesale operations sell to top restaurateurs and consumers from around the world. The author has been featured in Food & Wine and the New York Times.
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