As the saying goes, "like the spice, so the roast." Moreover, spices are healthy; for example, they promote digestion, invigorate circulation, or simply provide a sense of physical well-being. The author takes the reader into the fascinating world of spices. From the pungent asafetida to devilishly hot chilies, precious saffron, and fragrant cinnamon, he describes 300 plants and the spices derived from them from a scientific perspective. He presents 84 spice substances in detail, focusing on their cultivation, extraction, ingredients, properties, effects, and uses in cooking and medicine. This allows readers to be inspired by the diversity of spices and their applications—with the most comprehensive work ever written on the subject in the German language.