An Excerpt From 'Spiced'
"A pinch of this, and a pinch of that. Across kitchens and continents, as I delved into what spices mean to people, I discovered that spices do more than season, they awaken our palate. They make dishes hum with life; dishes that would be unimaginable without the fragrance and flavour of the spices associated with them. The culture of spices is powerful, connecting us to emotions and identity, stirring the deepest corners of who we are, linking taste and memory, our past to our present. Yet for most people, the word spice conjures the heat of chiles - a single fruit that for most of human history was unknown beyond its native Mexico and Latin America. Spice is not the same as spicy. So, before we begin, let me ask: What do we really mean when we say spicy?"