Book Review: "The Penguin Book of Herbs and Spices" by Rosemary Hemphill

I had never heard of this book before and was actually initially taken by a book of herbs and spices written by someone named Rosemary. I know, it's a bit immature but who else would you trust to write this book? I mean, in order to get really in the mood for it, I spent some time with the rosemary plant in my garden but that's beside the point. First published in 1966, it was initially part of the Penguin Handbooks series. A handbook filled with herbs and spices sounds like it is going to be boring and packed with parsley - but this book really does look at the distinct flavour profiles of every herb and spice you can think of. Seriously, I couldn't think of a way to make this little book better.

This is the first time I had ever heard of a herb nursery and when I was researching the author, I found out that she ran this beautiful cottage with a herb nursery within - only cementing her expertise to write this book if her name was not enough. Initially though, I thought it would be difficult to write about since this book isn't really one you become immersed in. It's more like a dictionary or textbook of different herbs. However, once I got into it, I noticed that there were etymologies on Lavender, giant sections on herbs I'd never heard of and even the odd spice that intrigued me so much I have now made it a mission to use it in some of my cooking. So, yes, thank you Rosemary Hemphill - you have certainly inspired me to do more with my dishes. Coriander, I have seen, is not the only herb I can use in my vegan patties.

One thing I did really think was helpful too was the fact that many of the herbs tell you when you should plant and harvest them for the best results. Yes I know that when you buy herbs from the supermarket, they usually come with this information on the back. But it's different when you get a whole ton of information about how to water them, what to do with them and exactly how to store them alongside planting and harvesting information. There's something about having someone explain it to you step by step that creates somewhat of a story of these herbs - they aren't just plants anymore, they are a history of cooking. And everyone knows that food is probably one of the oldest stories ever told in any culture. It is, though a cliché, the love language of many of the world's countries. Rosemary Hemphill definitely understands that.

Tracing how the ancient cultures used herbs and spices for medicinal purposes is also one of the book's selling points. Everything from ceremonies to the supernatural, from medicinal properties to folklore is covered within. There's a whole history of trade routes and how herbs were transported and used along the way that was also very interesting to read about. Between that and a very intriguing section on the common herbs one will assume that this is not just any textbook on herbs but rather a story, a narrative, about the way in which we not only season our foods but cure ourselves of common colds. A whole history of humanity's sickness and eating habits contained within the pages. But, when it comes to transport, there's also the question of storage for freshness - something the author does not skip out on teaching us about.

The book features a ton of recipes with the herbs and spices in question of course, it also contains the main function of particular spices such as those used for eating and others, used for scent. From aromas to insect deterrents, there's a whole bunch of uses for many different plants. As someone who grows herbs like mint, rosemary, parsley, coriander and more - I am always interested in reading about different things I can use my plants for. I already dry out some of my plants to make scented candles and also mix some of my herbs together in a blender to flavour cakes - but there's so much more to learn. Rosemary Hemphill has taught me I'm only at the beginning...

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