We meet the men and women who cultivate spices, who introduce us to little known varieties. They have taught us how to recognize superior quality. They let us in on their wisdom and show us how they look after their spice gardens, havens of natural beauty.

Classifying spices is a delicate exercise due to their immense variety. Nature has given us fiery spices – chilli peppers, ginger, peppercorns, fake peppers –, spices that taste of aniseed sweets – dill, fennel, fennel seeds, star anise –, tender spices – vanilla, nutmeg, mace, annatto, benzoin –, mercurial spices – clove, allspice –, hesperidial spices – lemongrass –, thymols – ajwain –, magnificent spices – coriander and green, black and white cardamom… the list goes on and on.