Spices and How to Know Them

"Spices and How to Know Them" by Walter M. Gibbs is a comprehensive guide to the world of spices, written to educate both spice merchants and everyday consumers about these valuable commodities. The author begins by acknowledging the difficulty of tracing the history of spices and shines a light on the crucial role of regions like Singapore and the Spice Islands in their story. He stresses the need for spice merchants to have a deeper knowledge of their products, emphasizing the widespread problem of adulteration in the spice market. The core purpose of the book is to equip readers with the knowledge to distinguish between pure and impure spices, promoting honesty and quality in the spice trade.