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SPICE TRAVELS: A Spice Merchant's Voyage of Discovery
Spice merchant Ian Hemphill takes us along the ancient and modern spice routes from India, Turkey, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Zanzibar to outback Australia.
- GenresNonfiction
227 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 20, 2019
This book feels quite dated, and although I am probably not the target market, it had some short passages of interesting detail. It was published in 2002, but obviously the travel was before that - and I suspect in some cases quite a bit before.
It is basically a series of travelogue chapters which all theme around spices. The author has a shop which sells spices, and therefore travels (mostly with his wife accompanying him) to research and establish supply lines. One of the chapters outlined a 'spice tour' the couple ran - which really established the tone for me with the travellers probably being those the book is targeted at - people who wouldn't travel independently, but would pay up to be chaperoned from airport and back again.
His visits are to interesting places - around half the chapters are travel to India - but also Mexico, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zanzibar. There is a lot of general touristy coverage in the book, which I think detracts from the key focus, which should have been the spices, and makes the book far less interesting overall. Perhaps it works with a less travel inclined reader, as basic background, but for me it weakened that focus.
The parts where Hemphill concentrates on the people who grow the spices, the growing techniques, facts and anecdotes around the spices, etc are interesting and work well, but they are a bit too far in between.
2.5 stars, rounded up because it was still quite readable, but given the choice, I would give this one a miss.
It is basically a series of travelogue chapters which all theme around spices. The author has a shop which sells spices, and therefore travels (mostly with his wife accompanying him) to research and establish supply lines. One of the chapters outlined a 'spice tour' the couple ran - which really established the tone for me with the travellers probably being those the book is targeted at - people who wouldn't travel independently, but would pay up to be chaperoned from airport and back again.
His visits are to interesting places - around half the chapters are travel to India - but also Mexico, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zanzibar. There is a lot of general touristy coverage in the book, which I think detracts from the key focus, which should have been the spices, and makes the book far less interesting overall. Perhaps it works with a less travel inclined reader, as basic background, but for me it weakened that focus.
The parts where Hemphill concentrates on the people who grow the spices, the growing techniques, facts and anecdotes around the spices, etc are interesting and work well, but they are a bit too far in between.
2.5 stars, rounded up because it was still quite readable, but given the choice, I would give this one a miss.
July 19, 2026
I have had the pleasure of meeting this author. He is indeed a walking encyclopaedia of herb and spice knowledge. The book is written at a time when he operated a shop in Rozelle. That shop has since shit, however, there are many stockists in Blaming and Rozelle.
December 30, 2011
Spices, their origins, uses, flavours, tweaks and possibilities are one of my all time favourite things when it comes to cooking. Which makes Hemphill's SPICE NOTES one of my favourite reference books. SPICE TRAVELS is more a travelogue, story of Ian and wife's Liz travelling to various spice producing places and meeting up with people behind the trade.
Whilst the information about how the various spices was interesting, there was something about the book that made the personal elements less interesting. Not sure if it was the tone of the voice, not sure if it was the few jokes that fell really flat, but somehow I just found I couldn't warm much to the narrator. But I did warm very much to his storyline!
Whilst the information about how the various spices was interesting, there was something about the book that made the personal elements less interesting. Not sure if it was the tone of the voice, not sure if it was the few jokes that fell really flat, but somehow I just found I couldn't warm much to the narrator. But I did warm very much to his storyline!
January 18, 2017
Fun travel insights into the world of spices as an Australian couple endeavour to learn more about the origins and farming of spice. The knowledge helping them to begin a spice store.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews