With the ever-increasing range of ingredients available, there is no reason why health or environmental concerns should be mutually exclusive to culinary pleasure. Simply-cooked or healthy food can be enlivened with natural seasonings instead of additive-laden synthetic sauces and flavourings. This guide presents information on sources and processing methods, as well as nutritional aspects and what to look for in terms of quality, how each ingredient is used in cooking and healthy recipes. A comprehensive directory with over 400 entries covers a full range of familiar and exotic ingredients, with at-a-glance reference charts, comparative tables of vitamins and minerals, recommended daily intakes, therapeutic uses and details of allergies and food intolerances.