Food Plants of the World: An Illustrated Guide [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Ben-Erik van Wyk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2005

A comprehensive survey of the plants that provide food, beverages, spices, and flavorings, this book will serve as an invaluable reference to gardeners, ethnobotanists, nutritionists, culinary professionals, dieticians, and food enthusiasts. This scientifically accurate guide will allow them to identify all the major plant-derived foods and flavors, research culinary uses, and understand their dietetic and nutritional properties. Introductory chapters cover the various categories of plant use, including cereals, pulses (legumes), nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, sugar plants, beverages, spices, and flavorings. The core of the volume is an encyclopedic description of more than 350 food and flavor plants in use worldwide, with over 1000 color photographs. This accessible, pictorial guide is a concise source of practical information, not readily available elsewhere, and should be on every food enthusiast's bookshelf.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The globalization of the food supply has led to an increased interest in different types of food. Written by a botany professor in language accessible to the general reader, this photographic guide is intended to be used by nutritionists, gardeners, ethnobotanists, culinary professionals, and food enthusiasts. The core of the volume is an encyclopedic description of about 350 food and flavor plants.

The one-page entries, arranged alphabetically by genus and species, follow a standardized format that includes a description of each plant, its origin and history, parts used, cultivation and harvesting, uses and properties, nutritional value, and notes with other special information. Introductory chapters are provided on each of the various categories of food plants: cereals, nuts, fruits, vegetables, beverages, sugar and starch, culinary herbs and spices. A quick guide for about 800 food plants is also included. Examples of specific entries include: Allium ameloprasum (leek), Lens culinaris (lentil), Musa acuminata (banana), Olea europa (olive), and Syzygium aromaticum (clove). The author has included many interesting sidelights. For example, we learn that the sweetener sorbitol comes from the fruit of the mountain ash; bananas have exceptional nutritional value; wild rice is the only cereal to be domesticated in historical times. Each of the described plants is illustrated with several excellent color photographs. A comprehensive subject index provides access to the contents, including references from the common name to the genus and species. A glossary and references for further reading are supplied.

This guide is notable for its color illustrations. It is well organized, easy to use, and fills the need for a general reference on food plants. It is recommended for public, special, and academic libraries. Nancy Cannon
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A standout as a book about edible plants. The author ... has made a study of virtually every plant suitable for eating that you might encounter."—Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post, May 20, 2006 (Joel M. Lerner The Washington Post )

"Van Wyk presents a superbly illustrated guide to more than 350 commercially important plants that are sources of cereals, nuts, fruits, vegetables, drinks, herbs, and spices. The photos distinguish this work work from similar titles."—D. M. Rosenthal, Choice, April 2006 (D. M. Rosenthal Choice )

"A hefty but well-mannered reference approach to the topic, this book packs a serious informational punch."—Tod Eunker, Bloomsbury Review, March/April 2006 (Tod Eunker Bloomsbury Review )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881927430
• ISBN-13: 978-0881927436
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #436,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a professor of botany at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, with research interests in plant classification, medicinal plants and ethnobotany. My main job is to publish the latest botanical discoveries of our research group in scientific journals. My after-hours hobby, however, is to take photographs of plants and to write colourful botanical books - each representing the end result of a personal journey of discovery that I wish to share with fellow plant enthusiasts. The aim is to provide a conceptualization of the subject and a scientifically accurate summary of the most important facts, presented in a practical, colourful and user-friendly way.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plant lovers, food lovers, January 20, 2006

By 

C. Pott (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Food Plants of the World: An Illustrated Guide (Hardcover)

for anyone interested in the very staff of life: what we eat, why and where it came from. this book has information on every obscure fruit, herb, drink component, bark, vine, grain and spice you can think of. each species has a full page with three pictures, description, origin and history, parts used, cultivation and harvesting, uses and properties, nutritional value and notes. written by a botanist, it includes family information and the author is careful to include leaves, flowers AND fruit in almost every species account.

belongs in any good kitchen or botanist's library and always bound to settle any argument about a food item. invaluable.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Guide, July 3, 2009

By 

Z. K. (VA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Food Plants of the World: An Illustrated Guide (Hardcover)

I recently went on the Spring 2009 Voyage of the Semester at Sea program, and found this book during the trip. It was really helpful in supplementing information we were given in pre-port lectures, by guides and locals, and in diplomatic briefings, because it includes some of the most commonly found food plants of a wide variety of countries around the world. It was nice to figure out what I had been eating at each of the ports we visited, and to look up things I might like to try at future ports in advance. I was able to find more information on the !Nara plant I saw and learned about in the Namib Desert in the nutrition tables located in the back of the book, and what I learned gave me cultural insights into the country: a plant so rich in nutrients, among so many other valuable natural resources in such a seemingly barren place would explain the Namibian people's love for their land. Additionally, this book offers interesting and important information to anyone interested in botany and anthropology. Each plant profile has detailed pictures that often depict the foliage and growth habit of the species along with its edible parts and related species. And the descriptions include a history of the plant: where it originated and which culture developed it (if it was not naturally occurring)/cultivated it the most, as well as how it is currently used and how it contributes to the economy of the country it inhabits. Finally, of course, this book is great for people interested in nutrition; the vitamins, minerals, nutrients, properties, and calorie contents are provided for almost every plant in the book, and the whole vague line between pulses, nuts, and grains is explained. The South African nationality of the author is evident in the book, because a good number of the plants listed are found in the Cape Province Region; his soft spot for his homeland gives us an interesting glimpse into its food culture, adding further interest to this publication.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, March 10, 2006

By 

Steve Sando (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Food Plants of the World: An Illustrated Guide (Hardcover)

This is a reference work. It's not written with much style. The entries all have nice photos and not a lot of in-depth text. I'm glad I have it but it could have been a great book.