Herbs and spices - Linda

This is one of a series of books introducing young children to all aspects of everyday food. Taking the theme of a familiar food, each book examines the reasons why we eat it, how and where it is grown and produced, its nutritional value, who eats it and where and step-by-step recipes that the reader can follow. This book looks at how herbs and spices are grown and processed, and how they are used to flavour our food.;For thousands of years, humans have been using plants for a wide range of purposes - to make clothing and building materials, for their medicinal qualities, and as food. They can also be used to change the flavour of foods, in the form of herbs and spices which are made from the seeds, bark, fruits and roots of plants. This book begins with an explanation of what herbs and spices are, and goes on to describe some of the most widely used examples, including pepper, cinnamon, mint, mustard and vanilla. The author explains how each is grown, prepared and stored, how herbs and spices are used in cooking, and the benefits of including them in our diet. There are three recipes to try.;In addition to her full-time work as a nutritionalist, Linda Illsley also writes on food and health. She is the author of "Cheese" in Wayland's "Food" series.