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The Science of Spice: Understand Flavour Connections and Revolutionize your Cooking Hardcover – 4 Oct. 2018
Dr. Stuart Farrimond (Author) See search results for this author |
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Transform your dishes from bland and boring to punchy and flavoursome with this definitive guide to spices.
It's time to spice up your home cooking!
Taking the periodic table of spices as a starting point, this adventurous recipe book explores the science behind the art of making incredible spice blends to help you release the flavour in your dishes. Discover a spice book like no other from TV personality, food scientist and bestselling author, Dr Stuart Farrimond.
Sure to get your taste-buds tingling, you can explore:
- An explanation of what spices are and how they're produced
- Which countries favour which spices and a bit of the history behind it
- Dozens of spice blends you can make and what you can use it for
- 52 exciting recipes from around the world which showcase each spice blend
- A reference guide to look up each spice to understand how to use it
- Colour-coded charts to help you learn the chemical compound that make up the flavours
- Instructions on how to design your own spice blends with photographic references without.
If you've ever wondered why some spices taste stronger than others or how to make your own personal garam masala, The Science of Spice has all the answers! Discover how to use spices for cooking to become more creative in the kitchen, and explore the multiple ways that spices can endlessly heighten your eating experience.
Great cooking goes beyond following a recipe - it's knowing how to use the right combination of spices and herbs to get the greatest possible flavour from your dishes. From learning how the flavour compounds within spices work together to exploring the world's top spices, this is the perfect cookbook for curious cooks and adventurous foodies. Whether you're a fan of spice seeking to experiment with new flavour combinations, or simply a beginner-level home-cook looking to advance your knowledge on all things spice-related, this is a must-have volume also doubling up as a great coffee table book for the whole family to love.
At DK, we believe in the power of discovery.
So why stop there? This series from DK is designed to help you perfect your cooking with practical instruction - and the science behind it. There are more cookbooks to discover from The Science of... series giving you the essentials to cook up a storm! Find the answers to your everyday cooking questions and get more out of your recipes with The Science of Cooking, paired together they make the ideal cookery gifts for your food-loving friends too!
- Print length224 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDK
- Publication date4 Oct. 2018
- Dimensions21.9 x 2.3 x 26.2 cm
- ISBN-109780241302149
- ISBN-13978-0241302149
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From the Publisher



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The Science of Spice | The Science of Cooking | |
Description | Spice up your home cooking! Taking the periodic table of spices as a starting point, this adventurous recipe book explores the science behind the art of making incredible spice blends to help you release the flavour in your dishes. | This cookbook brings food science out of the lab and into your kitchen. Get more out of recipes with intriguing chapters covering all major food types from meat, poultry and seafood, to grains, vegetables, and herbs. |
What's Inside? | Explore the world of spices, be inspired to make your own new spice blends, and take your cooking to new heights. | Get answers to all your everyday cooking questions, as well as myth-busting information on vegan diets and cholesterol. |
Includes Innovative Recipes | ✓ | ✓ |
Question-and-Answer Format | ✓ | |
Pages | 224 | 256 |
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Product details
- ASIN : 0241302145
- Publisher : DK (4 Oct. 2018)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 224 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780241302149
- ISBN-13 : 978-0241302149
- Dimensions : 21.9 x 2.3 x 26.2 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 4,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1 in Organic Chemistry (Books)
- 2 in Biochemistry (Books)
- 2 in Chemistry References
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Dr Stuart Farrimond is a medical doctor turned science communicator and food scientist and is author of the DK bestsellers The Science of Cooking (2017) and Science of Spice (2018), and the Sunday Times bestseller The Science of Living (2021) (Sold as Live Your Best Life in North America). He is a science and medical writer, presenter, and educator. He makes regular appearances on TV, radio, and at public events, and his writing appears in national and international publications, including The Independent, The Daily Mail, and New Scientist. Since 2017, Dr Stu has been the food scientist for BBC's much-loved show Inside the Factory, hosted by Gregg Wallace and Cherry Healey.
Customer reviews
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2019
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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I have been looking for a book like this for years, so I am happy someone finally put this together. It not only covers a wide array of spices, but also the chemistry of them and how to knowingly combine them. I especially liked the historical, cultural and geographical discussion of each spice. As an extra bonus, regional recipes for each spice is included.
On the negative side:
- it really should include herbs as well as spices (though some herbs are included). And dill seeds are included, but dill weed is even more popular
- the heavy focus on India but total exclusion of Eastern Europe on p71 is unforgiveable
- there are many factual inaccuracies (slaves didn't build the Egyptian pyramids, just one example). I didn't feel like cataloging them all, but everytime I run into one it just makes me wonder how much of the rest is also inaccurate
- I like the periodic table of spices, but it needs a page number to the spice profile. Actually, I would like such a table as a poster for my kitchen, and if it included additional information (country / region of origin, ideal combinations, etc)
Overall I really like this book and it's a welcome innovative addition to the culinary sciences, and I would welcome a second edition.
I highly recommend this for any chef or homecook who wants to advance their knowledge on all things spice related.
The layout is very enticing and draws you in. Associations with different ingredients is set out clearly and has already provided me with some amazing insights. I love science and cooking, so knowing how to get the best of the flavours on offer is brilliant.
Yes, it’s probably obvious to lots of people but I love the way the “rules” of the game are set out

By Jetage on 22 April 2019
The layout is very enticing and draws you in. Associations with different ingredients is set out clearly and has already provided me with some amazing insights. I love science and cooking, so knowing how to get the best of the flavours on offer is brilliant.
Yes, it’s probably obvious to lots of people but I love the way the “rules” of the game are set out


Provides a periodic table of spices, with information on the origins of spices and their classification.
There are even recipes to demonstrate how to use spices to complement various foods, and amplify the taste.
Somehow, they turned out mighty delicious (and no, it wasn't just me who thought so).
When I saw the "Science of Spice" I immediately thought, ah this looks like a good one! I can perhaps finally get a glimpse of "quantified andaaz". Sadly, this isn't what I found.
The book's beautiful in its design, texture, and overall look and feel. The substance of the book is what I'm struggling to define as anything other than largely below average.
Spice combinations aren't quite authentic. My fiance's Japanese and when asked whether the Japanese mix was authentic, she responded in the most quintessentially Japanese way - "Well, I understand that he might use these ingredients, but we never use them in Japan". A polite way of saying "Nope - no, that is definitely NOT Japanese!"
We both know a thing or two about Asian food and really struggle to see how many of those suggested mixtures are anywhere near 'authentic'. What stood out in particular were a good few recipes with (surely) excessive amounts of white pepper being suggested. Those did NOT taste good.
Ultimately, I found using "andaaz" to determine the *proportions* of spices considerably improved the taste profiles. I'm still optimistic about the intricate explanations of the spices themselves.
I'd view/take the book with a pinch of salt in terms of authenticity, but a nice way to explore the varieties of spice combinations used in different parts of the world.
Very much recommended!
I am giving 4stars but expect that to go to 5stars with further reading.