Les plantes alimentaires chez tous les peuples et à travers les ages:

Abstract

THIS volume of the "Encyclopèdie Biologique“ deals entirely with those plants that are used by man in various parts of the world for preparing beverages. All the more important species are dealt with, but those regarded as purely medicinal are omitted. They are arranged in three main categories—plants yielding alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, cider, perry and distilled spirits ; non-alcoholic drinks such as fruit syrups obtained by expression, and aromatic, non-alcoholic beverages, made by infusion or decoction, such as tea, coffee and cocoa. As might be expected in a work of this sort emanating from France, the grape and its numerous beverages receive detailed attention. Brief descriptions of all the leading varieties of wine grape, including synonyms, are given. Among the beverages of the tropics are the various palm wines or toddy and the spirits they yield (arack), also the spirits and native beers prepared from millets and other cereals. Mate or Paraguay tea and guarana, so well known in South America, are fully discussed. No fewer than eighty substitutes for ordinary tea are given and twenty for coffee.

Les plantes alimentaires chez tous les peuples et à travers les ages:

histoire, utilisation, culture. Vol. 4: Les plantes à boissons. Par Prof. D. Bois. (Encyclopedie biologique, Vol. 17.) Pp. iv + 601. (Paris: Paul Lechevalier, 1937.) 120 francs.