American Spice Blends: Apple Pie Spice, Cajun Blackening Spice, Chili Powder, Old Bay Seasoning, Pumpkin Pie Spice

Asian Blends: Chinese 5-spice, Chinese Seasoned Salt, Shichimi-togarashi

British Blends: Mixed Spice (Pudding Spice), Pickling Spice

Classic French Herb and Spice Blends: Bouquet Garni, Fines Herbes, Herbes de Provence, Quatre Epice

Indian Masalas: Chaat Masala, Garam Masala, Green Masala, Madrasi Masala, Panch Phoron, Sambar

The Spice Trade, A Taste of Adventure from the Economist is a fascinating accounting of how the history of the spice trade is the history of commerce and modern civilization.

Spices, or the Dawn of the Modern Age from Tastes of Paradise, a social history of spices, stimulants and intoxicants.

Pepper: King of Spices tells how pepper virtually changed the course of history by playing a key role in the development of trade and conquest.

Books on the Spice Trade and Food History reviews some excellent books on the subject. Included: Spice: The History of a Temptation, Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices, Nathaniel's Nutmeg, True History of Chocolate, Vanilla: Travels In Search of the Ice Cream Orchid, Salt: A World History, Bittersweet: The Story of Sugar, and History of the World in Six Glasses .

Herbs and Spices Trends — Top culinary pros have come up with a top 10 list of oncoming flavor trends; herbs & spices are paired with other ingredients for some tasty combinations.

Spice Advice — how to make the most of spices, which spices to use with particular foods, when to add them, grinding, storage and more.

An Ode to Olive Oil provides a brief history of olive oil.

Chiles: A World Tour explores culinary examples of chile use around the world.

Ginger- Fresh Flavour that Packs Heat has culinary tips about using ginger in its various incarnations.

Grow your own Ginger provides detailed instructions on growing ginger in pots.

Using Oregano offers culinary tips about using this robust herb, as well as its cousin, marjoram

Getting the most out of saffron explains how to shop for saffron and optimize a pinch for flavour and colour.

Harvesting and Drying Herbs is a comprehensive guide to harvesting herbs, drying, freezing, making herb butters, oils and vinegars, pot pourris, etc. Briefly deals with many herbs individually.

Herbs and Spices Fight Disease Most of us look at spices as a way to perk up the plate but are you aware of their potential to fight disease? Look here for some recent findings.