Herbs and spices are among the most versatile ingredients in food processing, and alongside their sustained popularity as flavorants and colorants, they are increasingly being used for their natural preservative and potential health-promoting properties. This authoritative new edition, in two volumes, provides a comprehensive guide to the properties, production and application of a wide variety of commercially-significant herbs and spices. Volume 1 begins with an introduction to herbs and spices and discusses their definition, trade and applications. The introduction concludes with a review of both the quality specifications for herbs and spices, and the quality indexes for spice essential oils. Chapters go on to look in depth at individual herbs and spices, ranging from basil to vanilla. Each chapter provides detailed coverage of a single herb or spice by considering its origins, chemical composition and classification as well as the cultivation, production and processing. Chapters conclude with an analysis of the herb's main uses, functional properties and toxicity.