British Library Philosophies – serie

What makes chocolate so alluring? Why is it the inspiration for endless culinary creativity? Sam Bilton explores our complex relationship with this versatile confection, which is made from the humble beans of the tropical cacao tree.Divided thematically, the book moves between the ceremonial uses of chocolate and its reputation as an aphrodisiac, investigates its reputed health properties and poisonous possibilities. Other chapters reveal the darker side of its production in the Americas, through slave labour and exploitation of indigenous populations, as well as its commercialisation as a sweet treat in Western cultures, and chocolate consumption around the world.This mouth-watering, illustrated book is rounded off with tasting tips and chocolate recipes to leave you feeling fully replete.

There are curries on almost every continent, with a stunning diversity of flavours and textures across India alone, and many more interpretations the world over, including in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Trinidad and the curry capital of the UK, Bradford.But curry is difficult to define. The word has origins in ancient India, but its adoption by Portuguese and British colonisers saw curry reinterpreted in the west to encompass an entire cuisine, prompting many Indians to reject the term outright.Sejal Sukhadwala probes the complex intersection of tradition and colonialism through the fascinating history of curry, from its association with Ayurveda - one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems to its enduring popularity in contemporary British culture.Garnishing this history is a surfeit of helpful advice on which oils to use, how to temper spices and where to find those all-important mouth-watering recipes.

An early description of a cocktail as ‘a mix of alcoholic drinkswith flavouring ingredients’ does nothing to convey the alchemyand speak-easy glamour of these elaborate drinks. The cocktail’s humble beginnings as a medicinal tonic through the inclusion of botanicals into distilled spirits such as gin and whiskey, accelerates with the ingenuity of bartenders who created the ‘classics’ – the Martini, Manhattan and Old Fashioned – in the nineteenth-century, and in the decadence of the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties. This book explores the journey that cocktails have made, via China and the Middle East, the Americas and the UK, to arrive at the bespoke menus of today’s stylish clubs and bars, complete with descriptions of the myriad ingredients, glassware and paraphernalia that the mixologist has at their disposal.

Cider is sunshine in a glass! Follow Jane Peyton on a glorious voyage of discovery, from the journey the wild Malus Sieversii apple - ancestor of today's domesticated apple - has made from the foothills of Central Asia's Tien Shan mountains, to the Norman invasion, which introduced new apple varieties and pressing technologies to Britain, to the colonists of America, who took apples with them, planted the seeds and drank cider long before beer brewing was properly established.Today their legacy is sustained in the traditional orchards and processes of craft cider-makers; the folk traditions of the British Wassail and Txotx celebrations of the Basque Country; and the ethos of the Slow Food Movement.In addition to explaining cider's links to champagne and why we are enjoying a renaissance of both cider- and perry-making, Jane provides tasting tips and food pairings to help any aspiring cider drinker. Welcome to Ciderland.

The desire to cultivate indoor plants is shared by all of us. Houseplants are more than mere decoration: they improve our moods, can be used to treat ailments, and reflect our ever-evolving relationship with nature. Sarah Gerrard-Jones masterfully explores the psychology behind our attraction to houseplants, and the benefits of keeping plants in our homes, from the healing qualities of biophilic design to the philosophy of care.Practical sections provide fundamental advice on looking after plants and nurturing them back to life, and she also advises on buying plants and the perils of mass production, so that we can all acquire and grow houseplants sustainably.

Perfume is intoxicating: a wearable scent journey, a cultural touchpoint, a piece of art and design, and a deep expression of individuality. You can be nine or ninety, tall or small, wearing simple rosewater or a rare ambergris-infused concoction and your scent will still be your own. From its ancient, ceremonial roots to the starry allure of modern celebrity fragrances, perfume has long been associated with the almost-alchemical power to transform and bewitch. Perfumes have defined what an era’s luxury, femininity, and allure smell like, while even a lingering scent of someone’s signature perfume can be enough to send our minds reeling back through our memories. Nowadays, perfume has found an active online community of connoisseurs ready to scour the earth for niche, gate-kept and unattainable scents.In The Philosophy of Perfume, fragrance writer and journalist, Alice du Parcq, takes us on an opulent journey through the mysterious world of perfume. The book includes chapters on perfume’s history, the figures who have acted as perfume’s great muses, the psychology of scent, the obsessive search for ever-rarer ingredients, notes on dissecting scents, the most iconic bottle designs and how to find your perfect scent.