This panel examines adulteration from different perspectives: the ‘dilution’ of herbs and spices when processed into blends that lead to a cultural devaluation of the prime ingredient; regulatory efforts to…

Move over, hash brownies. These papers launch from the current interest in cannabis cookery to investigate both the original counterculture cookery books from the 1960s and ‘70s and the culinary…

These papers view herbs and spices in the colonial context from opposite ends of the telescope: how did annatto move around the world courtesy of French colonial activity versus what…

This diverse panel explores how certain herbs and spices have been markers of identity; these papers explore their use as a tool expressing power dynamics within societies, as well as…

Herbs and spices have long been seen as medicine: whether dealing with ways of combatting scurvy, a justification for consuming saffron with unleavened bread, or as healing cordials, these key…

Often frustratingly imprecise and obscure to the modern cook, medieval culinary texts nonetheless offer clues to the cuisines of centuries past: these papers explore mysterious ingredients in China as well…

Why do certain local herbs and spices appear regularly in a cuisine, while other available seasonings are missing? Why do certain ‘flavour profiles’ emerge? These two papers approach these questions…

Capsicums are nearly ubiquitous, appearing in many of the world’s cuisines, but capsicums signify different things depending on context. This panel explores their use as table condiments in Japan, Turkey,…

No cuisine is static; these three papers trace changes in British cuisine, whether the early modern elevation of wild herbs, the desuetude of the savoury course, or the imperial messages…

Do herbs and spices have ‘terroir’ and how does this impact global marketplaces? This panel presents case studies for the development of tsiperifery pepper in Madagascar and the question of…

Herbals, natural histories, and medicinal writings from the 16th through 19th centuries have documented the spread of plants between Old and New Worlds—or at least that is what conventional wisdom…

The many regional cuisines of India provide a rich tapestry of culinary pleasures; these papers explore two spices that are less well-known in the West, asafoetida and stone flower (the…