This book is not a scientific treatise or research, it is a practical guide, an assistant in everyday life. Therefore, we will not join the multi-page discussions about what spices are and what spices, seasonings and simply fragrant substances used to flavor products. All of the above applies only to one specific group of products, endowed with completely different properties from other groups. We will put everything in our "basket" at once, because no matter how you call this or that spice or spice, the main thing is the role that they play in cooking, and this is their true value. "We so easily forget everything we have seen and heard, and only fragrances remain in the memory quite clearly." Honoré de Balzac.