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The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables by Adam Alexander
kairosdreaming's review
4.0
*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.
Alexander knows a lot about plants, particularly what it takes to collect and continue heirloom varieties from around the world (just reading about his setup I am very jealous). I, on the other hand, can't seem to start plants from seeds for anything. But that's ok, the more people explore this work, the more chance I have of picking up an heirloom plant at a farmer's market or other locales.
Separated into East and West, Alexander explores the heritage of well-known plants, not only narrating his own explorations but also digging into the history and origin of the plants as well. I appreciated that he sometimes went into obscure areas, as there are so many varieties of edible plants out there that people just don't know about due to the homogeneity of what we generally find in stores.
That being said, it could get dry at times, and there were certain sections I found myself skimming. While I largely enjoyed the information, some just seemed to be more detail for the sake of detail. But it was nice to see how tomatoes crossed the world (indeed it seemed like the largest chapter was dedicated to them), how many classifications of peppers there are (no it's not just hot and not-hot), and just where beans really originated. I wouldn't have minded a few recipes thrown in for how he uses some of his crops based on the way he described taste and function.
An interesting book, but definitely one for someone who is really into seeds, gardening, or food history.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
Alexander knows a lot about plants, particularly what it takes to collect and continue heirloom varieties from around the world (just reading about his setup I am very jealous). I, on the other hand, can't seem to start plants from seeds for anything. But that's ok, the more people explore this work, the more chance I have of picking up an heirloom plant at a farmer's market or other locales.
Separated into East and West, Alexander explores the heritage of well-known plants, not only narrating his own explorations but also digging into the history and origin of the plants as well. I appreciated that he sometimes went into obscure areas, as there are so many varieties of edible plants out there that people just don't know about due to the homogeneity of what we generally find in stores.
That being said, it could get dry at times, and there were certain sections I found myself skimming. While I largely enjoyed the information, some just seemed to be more detail for the sake of detail. But it was nice to see how tomatoes crossed the world (indeed it seemed like the largest chapter was dedicated to them), how many classifications of peppers there are (no it's not just hot and not-hot), and just where beans really originated. I wouldn't have minded a few recipes thrown in for how he uses some of his crops based on the way he described taste and function.
An interesting book, but definitely one for someone who is really into seeds, gardening, or food history.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
annarella's review
5.0
If you are interesting in heirloom seeds and biodiversity this is as fascinating and gripping as a mystery
Highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
abookishtype's review
informative
fast-paced
3.0
Have you ever wondered, when you visit the produce section of a grocery store or encountered an unusual dish at a new restaurant, how our ancestors ever worked out how to take the wild things growing around them and turned them into giant pumpkins, lethally hot chillis, or the stunning variety of Brassicas? I certainly have, but not to the extent that Adam Alexandar has. In The Seed Detective, Alexander discusses the wide variety of heirloom and heritage varieties of vegetables he’s collected on his travels around the world and now grows in his garden. By the end of the book, Alexandar will have taken you on a global tour of peas, beans, tomatoes, nearly all the Brassica species and varieties, lettuces, alliums, corn, and chillis—and will probably have you wanting to make a quick trip to the store to stock up...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
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