On Food and Cooking

Because we eat hundreds of different plants,
and countless varieties of them, these surveys
can only be selective and sketchy. They’re
meant to highlight the distinctive qualities of
these foods, to help the food lover appreciate
those qualities more fully and make the best
use of them.
These chapters give special attention to
two features of our plant foods. One is family
relationships, which tell us which plants are
related to each other, and conversely how
varied a given species can be. Such
information helps us make sense of
similarities and differences among particular
foods, and may suggest ideas for interesting
combinations and themes.
The second feature emphasized in the
following pages is flavor chemistry. Fruits and
vegetables, herbs and spices are the most
complex foods we eat. If we know even a little
bit about which substances create their flavor,
then we become more attuned to how the