Books in the Edible series

Martha Jay traces the history of allium family - onions, shallots, garlic, chives, and leeks - back to the earliest civilizations of the Fertile Crescent and the recipes of ancient Mesopotamia.

Edible Flowers is the fascinating history of how flowers have been used in cooking from ancient customs to modern kitchens. It also serves up novel ways to prepare and eat soups, salads, desserts and drinks. Discover something new about the flowers all around you with this surprising history.

Chillies traces the culinary journey of the spice and uncovers cultural and spiritual links between chillies and humans, from their use as an aphrodisiac, to the recent discovery that chilli heat shows promise as a treatment for neuropathic pain, prostate cancer and leukaemia.

From the spirit's most recognized examples to often overlooked varieties such as Armagnac, this book delves into the fascinating history of this globally consumed beverage.

Vodka: A Global History describes vodka's complete history, from its emergence in Eastern Europe to its future as a global beverage. Attractively illustrated with photographs, paintings and graphic art, this title provides an engaging account of the rise of vodka.

Gin: A Global History features many enticing recipes and images from the past and present of gin. The book will entice both cocktail aficionados and students of socio-political change, as it chronicles gin's evolution from humble berry to modern alcoholic marvel.

Apple explores the cultural and culinary importance of the apple. From the Garden of Eden and Homer's Odyssey to Johnny Appleseed, Wilhelm Tell and Apple Computer, readers will learn how apples became a universal source of sustenance, health and symbolism.

In Ice Cream: A Global History, Laura B. Weiss takes us on a vibrant trip through the history of ice cream from ancient China to modern-day Tokyo in order to tell the lively story of how this delicious indulgence became a global sensation.

Exploring sugar's reputation as one of the most beloved yet reviled substances that we consume, this compelling history of the infamous ingredient is peopled with determined adventurers, relentless sugar barons and greedy plantation owners.

Informative and highly entertaining, Beer explores a legion of brews from Mexico to Milwaukee, Beijing to Bruges, in this superb study of the origins and contemporary consumption habits of one of the world's most popular drinks.

How did wine surpass all other beverages to achieve global domination? In Wine, Marc Millon travels back to the origins of modern man to find the answer, discovering that this heady drink is intertwined with the roots of civilization itself.

In Herbs, Gary Allen tells the story of these oft-overlooked plants, which have become such a staple in our lives. Allen's truly global history examines herbs in a way never seen before.

Rice: A Global History presents in detail the historical journey that rice has taken, from its early origin as a staple food in Asian and West African countries to its ubiquitous place in meals across the world today.

In Coffee: A Global History, Jonathan Morris explains how the world acquired a taste for coffee, yet why coffee tastes so different throughout the world. Written in an engaging style, and featuring wonderful recipes, stories and facts, the book explores who drank coffee, as well as why and where, how it was prepared and what it tasted like.

In Pickles, author Jan Davison explores the cultural and gastronomic history of fermented vegetables, from the earliest civilizations to the twenty-first century.

Pineapple is a culinary love story enriched with vivid illustrations and irresistible recipes from around the world for eating and drinking the pineapple.

Richard Foss chronicles the evolution of rum from a raw spirit concocted for slaves five hundred years ago, to a beverage savoured by connoisseurs. Rum: A Global History features recipes for sweet and savoury rum dishes, obscure but delicious rum drinks, and many unusual illustrations of rum memorabilia.

The rich history of the intoxicating and evocative spice, vanilla.

The dramatic history of the world's most expensive spice.

Proposing that the 'forbidden fruit' eaten by Adam and Eve was in fact a fig rather than an apple, this book explores the history of the fruit in fascinating detail, from the Crusaders to the wonderful fig festivals of the modern world.

A lively history of tequila, an unusual liquor that can only be produced in Mexico. This book relates the beginnings of tequila and how it was introduced into the global market, and contains many recipes for tequila-based cocktails, as well as advice on buying, storing, tasting and serving tequila.

A delightful global history of mustard, one of the world's most loved condiments.

In the history of food, the tomato is a relative newcomer outside its ancestral home in Mesoamerica. And yet, as we devour pizza by the slice, dip French fries in ketchup, delight in a beautiful Bolognese sauce, or savor tomato curries, it would now be impossible to imagine the food cultures of many nations without the tomato. The journey taken by the tomato from its ancestral home in the southern Americas to Europe and back is a riveting story full of culinary discovery, innovation, drama, and dispute. Today, the tomato is at the forefront of scientific advances in cultivation and the study of taste, as well as a popular subject of heritage conservation (heirloom tomato salad, anyone?). But the tomato has also faced challenges every step of the way into our gardens and kitchens--including that eternal question: is it a fruit or a vegetable? In this book, Clarissa Hyman charts the eventful history of this ubiquitous everyday edible that is so often taken for granted. Hyman discusses tomato soup and ketchup, heritage tomatoes, tomato varieties, breeding and genetics, nutrition, tomatoes in Italy, tomatoes in art, and tomatoes for the future. Featuring delicious modern and historical recipes, such as the infamous "man-winning tomato salad" once featured in Good Housekeeping, this is a juicy and informative history of one of our most beloved foods.

Lorna Piatti-Farnell describes the story of how this fruit (which is technically a berry) has become one of the most popular foods on the planet.