This delectable cookbook centers on plants and spices from six continents. Recipes are gathered by region, and range from healthy salads (sesame prawn and sour green mango salad) to hearty main dishes (grilled quail in rose petal sauce) and sumptuous desserts (blueberry and lavender ice cream).  Accessible to novice cooks as well as experts, the recipes are straightforward and easy to follow, with ingredients that are readily available in stores or farmers’ markets. A foldout conversion table is included for reference and an appendix of herbs details their flavors and uses.

This unique cookbook also touches on historical, botanical, and economic themes. Each featured plant comes to life through beautiful botanic illustrations from Kew’s archives, and tales of travel and adventure reveal the plant’s role in culinary history. We learn how Europe’s fortunes turned on peppercorn and that a Turkish ambassador once made the most sought-after coffee in town. With a dash of history, a splash of travel, and a healthy serving of foolproof recipes, Kew’s Global Kitchen Cookbook is the perfect gift for anyone who loves a good story served up with great food.