The Flavour of Spice

Throughout her career spanning 25 years, well-known food critic and gastronomy writer (and little-known collector of spice-grinders of eclectic origin) Marryam Reshii has had a relentless love affair with spices. Such has been her passion for them that she has travelled to their countries of origin, traced their histories (the vast majority of spices were brought into India at various points in history from other countries and continents that have ceased to use them, while they have flourished in India) and their evolution in the regional cuisines of their foster homes, and dug out sumptuous recipes and little-known facts about them from plantation owners, chefs and home cooks. The result is The Flavour of Spice, a delectable narrative on everything to do with spice. From the market yard for chillies in Guntur and the hillsides in Sikkim where black cardamom thrives to the saffron plantations in Iran, Marryam’s zesty account of spices pulsates with colourful anecdotes, exciting tales of travel and discovery, and her infectious love for the ingredients that add so much punch to our cuisines.