From reviews of the first edition:

"One of the handsomest food publications to be seen in a long time.... The book is...a treasure trove of culinary lore."

—New York Times

"Anyone who finishes Peppers—and few who start will fail to finish—will come away with a broad understanding of a genus of plants with considerable historical, culinary, cultural, economic and even medical importance. But what makes it especially delightful is the odd little tidbit, the intriguing incidental fact tucked in along the way."

—Wall Street Journal

"Just about everything you ever wanted to know about peppers."

—Food and Wine

Since its original publication in 1984, Peppers has become the complete and classic source for the history and dispersion, biology and taxonomy, cultivation, and medicinal, economic, and gastronomic uses of the domesticated capsicum. In this new edition, Jean Andrews updates each section with new material gathered over the last ten years. Particularly interesting are her descriptions of recent medicinal uses of peppers (including a recipe for pain-relieving capsaicin cream) and the inclusion of two additional cultivars, Datil and Scotch Bonnet.

Like the first edition, this volume is illustrated with botanically accurate, yet aesthetically pleasing paintings that show the blossoms, buds, young peppers, and mature specimens of 34 cultivars in full color. Dr. Andrews also provides a recipe for the most typical dish in which each pepper is used, recipes that she herself has tested and served to grateful friends. With its up-to-the-minute, encyclopedic text and beautiful illustrations, Peppers remains a botanical natural history par excellence.