Book excerpt: What would a kitchen be without the distinctively aromatic smell and taste of almost any type of cuisine imaginable? Spices add piquancy, tang and flavour to food and are versatile ingredients in all forms of cooking. This book unearths a whole new world of hot and pungent Indian and exotic spices. It gives a detailed account of their origin, cultivation, chemical composition, medicinal and culinary uses. The book also discusses at length the use of various spices in different cuisines around the world like Japanese, Chinese and French. So pick up this book and discover the myriad varieties of spices which enhance the pleasure of eating.