In the time of classical Greece and Rome,
when spices were much used in religious
ceremonies and in perfumes, not everyone
thoughtthattheyalsobelonginfoods!
Thequestionmayberaised,whyaromatics
andotherfragrantthings,whiletheygivea
pleasant taste to wine, do not have this
effect on any other article of food. In all
cases,theyspoilfood,whetheritbecooked
ornot.
—Theophrastus,Decausisplantarum,3rd
centuryBCE
Today we need “supplements” for meat.
We mix oil, wine, honey, fish paste,
vinegar,withSyrianandArabianspices,as
thoughwewerereallyembalmingacorpse
forburial.
—Plutarch,Moralia,2ndcenturyCE
Flavorings Provide Stimulation and Play
Onedistinctlyhumancharacteristicisadrive


toexploreandmanipulatetheworldofnatural
materialsaroundus,tochangethosematerials
to suit our needs and interests. And these
needsandinterestsincludethestimulationof
our senses, the creation of sensory patterns
thatengageourbrains.Afterthedevelopment
ofagricultureanditsradicallysimplifieddiet,
our ancestors found ways to give our taste
budsandnosemoretoexperienceagain.One

way was to make use of plant parts that are
especially concentrated sources of flavor.
Herbsandspicesmadeitpossiblenotonlyto
giveblandfoodsmoreflavor,buttogivethem
more varied flavors, to ornament foods and
highlightflavorforflavor’ssake.
Flavoringsare
ChemicalWeapons

Andwhyaresomeplants’partsespecially
potent,intensesourcesofflavor?Whatrole
dothechemicalsthatgivethemtheirflavor