John S. Choinski Jr
Description
This book strives to educate interested readers about the fascinating and important world of plants using an easily accessible resource, a modern supe
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rmarket. Supermarkets are reimagined as classrooms where readers are exposed to hundreds of different plants, some of which are available locally, with many others brought to that market from farms, orchards, and (sometimes) wild habitats around the globe.
Numerous books are available on gardening and horticulture. These are very interesting topics, but many people do not have the time or space to grow vegetables or flower gardens. Almost everyone, in contrast, goes to the supermarket to buy their food. This book is a guide that provides interesting information about the various edible plants found in the market, including their nutritional value and (when appropriate) potential as medicines.
The book begins with background information about basic botany, including brief reviews of plant structure, reproduction, and chemistry. It then explains how hybridization and selection (both natural and artificial) change plants to make them more desirable for human use.
Each subsequent chapter has a similar organization. It begins with a plant or plant part that may be found in a supermarket. The plant will be identified using its proper scientific name and plant family and then described in the context of its site of origin, distinguishing morphological features, (and as applicable) nutritional content, and culinary uses.
The overall goal of the book is to get readers to think of supermarkets as educational opportunities to learn about plants and see them in a new way.
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