The reference for people involved in the study, cultivation, trade, and use of spices and herbs is written largely by scientists in plant and pharmaceutical sciences from India and other tropical countries. The first part deals with health benefits and the use of herbs and spices as antimicrobials and antioxidants; among the discussions are screening for health effects of herbs, and under-utilized herbs and spices. The second provides detailed information on individual spices, with a brief description, classification, production, cultivation, post-harvest handling, uses in food processing, the chemical structure and functional properties of important compounds extracted, and quality specification. Co-published by CRC Press and Woodhead Publishing.