A good novel about spices

The last novel I read was The Mistress of Spices. I pulled it out of a bag of books after I had to take my car in for some work. Finished reading it behind a library on another day (waiting for more work to be done on the car) while lying on the grass and occasionally tasting some wood sorrel (but not too much, because of the oxalic acid.) Looked at the various plants in the brush behind me and wondered if some big leafy shoots would be edible or poisonous (like rhubarb leaves.) I wonder how the movie turned out? Well, of course it looks like Hollywood took out the "older woman" part. Ah, yes, a young, attractive actress, embodiment of youthful attractiveness...