A History of Herbalism: Cure, Cook and Conjure by Emma Kay - #BookReview

 

From the Introduction:

It is quite hard to define a herb; Rosalind Northcote described them thus: 'a herb is a plant, green and aromatic and fit to eat, but it is impossible to deny that there are several undoubted herbs that are not aromatic, a few more grey than green, and one or two unpalatable, if not unwholesome.'

So, there you have it - the definition, if somewhat vague and incomplete, of a herb in its simplest terms. Many books about herbs tend to include a myriad of miscellaneous plants and all the spices as well. This is probably because spices are often traditionally lumped together with herbs as generic medicines or culinary additions...

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Food historian Emma Kay tells the story of our centuries-old relationship with herbs. From herbalists of old to contemporary cooking, this book reveals the magical and medicinal properties of your favourite plants in colourful, compelling detail. At one time, every village in Britain had a herbalist. 

A History of Herbalism investigates the lives of women and men who used herbs to administer treatment and knew the benefit of each. Meet Dr Richard Shephard of Preston, who cultivated angelica on his estate in the eighteenth century for the sick and injured; or Nicholas Culpeper, a botanist who catalogued the pharmaceutical benefits of herbs for early literary society. 

But herbs were not only medicinal. Countless cultures and beliefs as far back as prehistoric times incorporated herbs into their practices: paganism, witchcraft, religion and even astrology. Take a walk through a medieval physick' garden, or Early Britain, and learn the ancient rituals to fend off evil powers, protect or bewitch or even attract a lover. 

The wake of modern medicine saw a shift away from herbal treatments, with rituals and spells shrouded with superstition as the years wore on. The author reveals how herbs became more culinary rather than medicinal including accounts of recent trends for herbal remedies as lockdown and the pandemic leads us to focus more on our health and wellbeing.

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I was fortunate enough to be gifted an advance publication copy of this book from NetGalley. Having read it, I now intend to purchase a copy as I can foresee myself dipping in and out of it in the future. It is packed full of information and I particularly enjoyed the history surrounding herbs and their uses.

As a post-graduate historian Ms. Kay has presented her material in a knowledgeable and accessible style. She has researched her subject thoroughly and presents her material by dividing the book into three sections which are preceded by an informative introduction which is well worth reading.

On a personal note, I particularly enjoyed reading about James Murrell from whom I am a descendant. Her chapters relating to cunning folk and their practices were fascinating.

She gives equal attention to the way in which herbs have been used in medicine and culinary purposes. There are plenty of recipes along with an exhaustive list of the ways that herbs can be used in healing. She lists their individual properties and their practical applications.

A thoroughly interesting book which I recommend highly.

ISBN: 978 1399008952

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Formats: Hardback

No. of Pages: 224

About the Author:

Emma is a post-graduate historian and former senior museum worker. Now a food historian, author, and prolific collector of Kitchenalia, she is a member of The Guild of Food Writers. Her articles have appeared in publications including BBC History Magazine, The Daily Express, Daily Mail, Times Literary Supplement and The Victorian Review. She has featured on numerous national and international radio programmes and podcasts and contributed historic food research for several TV production companies.

During 2021 Emma cooked and presented a selection of historic dishes from the Regency era to accompany a new CTVC series for Channel 4 and was interviewed and filmed demonstrating Medieval cooking techniques for a documentary series on KBS-TV in South Korea.

In 2020 Emma created a Roman banquet and presented the origins and influences of Roman cooking for Channel 5 series Walking Britain’s Roman Roads.

At the end of 2019 Emma appeared as an expert contributor across several episodes of Channel 5 series, Britain’s Lost Battlefields.

In 2018 she appeared in a ten-part series for the BBC and Hungry Gap Productions, The Best Christmas Food Ever and on BBC Countryfile, co-presenting a feature exploring the heritage of the black pear with Anita Rani.

(author photo courtesy of Linked In

bio info courtesy of the publisher

ARC courtesy of NetGalley)