The term spice means any aromatic vegetable substance that is used as a condiment and for flavoring food. Spices are obtained from tropical plants and include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and turmeric.
The difference between herbs and spices is that herbs come from the leaf of a plant, while spices come from other parts such as roots, bark and seeds. So cilantro is an herb (coriander leaf) while coriander is a spice (coriander seed).
The spice trade first developed throughout South Asia and Middle East around 2000 BC. Indonesian merchants traveled around China, India, the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa. Arab merchants facilitated the routes through the Middle East and India.
The Egyptian port city of Alexandria was the main trading center for spices in ancient times. As a result of its prosperity it become the largest city in the world and, for some centuries more, was second only to Rome.
Juniper berries, the only spice to come from coniferous trees, were found in Tutankhamun's tomb.
As their empire grew to dominance, the Romans started sailing from Egypt to India to trade spices. At first it was a difficult two-year voyage across the Indian Ocean to get cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pepper.
A Greek merchant sailor, Hippalus, noticed around AD 45-47 that the changing winds of the monsoons blew south-west from April to October and north-east from October to April. Rather than fighting the winds, traders began waiting until the flow of wind and current was favorable for setting sail for both onward and return journey, thus shortening their voyage to less than a year.
Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the use of oriental spices was drastically curtailed in the normal diet of Europeans north of the Alps. Ecclesiastical groups and a few merchants could obtain small amounts; For instance Gemmulus, a Roman deacon, is recorded as having sent a gift of pepper and cinnamon to Archbishop Boniface.
From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice had the monopoly on spice trade with the Middle East, and along with it the neighboring Italian maritime republics and city-states. Cinnamon, ginger and pepper were used by the wealthy to camouflage bad flavors and odors and make food increasingly delectable. In addition such spices were believed to have a beneficial preservative action in meat and it was also believed that their consumption would prevent illness.
The control of trade routes and the spice-producing regions were the main reasons that Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sought a new route round Africa to India in the late 15th century. Having sailed round the Cape of Good Hope, he reached the city of Calicut on the southwest coast of India.
Vasco da Gama returned to his home country with cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and deals for the Portuguese to continue trade with Indian princes. By finding a new sea route to India the Portuguese explorer opened up the Oceanic spice route from Asia to Europe.
In 1503, four years after Vasco Da Gama's journey to India, 100 tons of spice arrived in Portugal. The resulting pepper sold in Lisbon was five times cheaper than in Venice.
The popularity of salt and pepper as near universal table condiments was due to Louis XIV of France who considered most other forms of seasoning a vulgar act.
Chili sauce and hot spices were banned from prison food in Peru in 1973 on the grounds that they might arouse sexual desires.
Though spices add few calories to food, they can contribute significant portions of micronutrients to the diet.
The difference between herbs and spices is that herbs come from the leaf of a plant, while spices come from other parts such as roots, bark and seeds. So cilantro is an herb (coriander leaf) while coriander is a spice (coriander seed).
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The Egyptian port city of Alexandria was the main trading center for spices in ancient times. As a result of its prosperity it become the largest city in the world and, for some centuries more, was second only to Rome.
Juniper berries, the only spice to come from coniferous trees, were found in Tutankhamun's tomb.
As their empire grew to dominance, the Romans started sailing from Egypt to India to trade spices. At first it was a difficult two-year voyage across the Indian Ocean to get cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pepper.
A Greek merchant sailor, Hippalus, noticed around AD 45-47 that the changing winds of the monsoons blew south-west from April to October and north-east from October to April. Rather than fighting the winds, traders began waiting until the flow of wind and current was favorable for setting sail for both onward and return journey, thus shortening their voyage to less than a year.
Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the use of oriental spices was drastically curtailed in the normal diet of Europeans north of the Alps. Ecclesiastical groups and a few merchants could obtain small amounts; For instance Gemmulus, a Roman deacon, is recorded as having sent a gift of pepper and cinnamon to Archbishop Boniface.
From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic of Venice had the monopoly on spice trade with the Middle East, and along with it the neighboring Italian maritime republics and city-states. Cinnamon, ginger and pepper were used by the wealthy to camouflage bad flavors and odors and make food increasingly delectable. In addition such spices were believed to have a beneficial preservative action in meat and it was also believed that their consumption would prevent illness.
The control of trade routes and the spice-producing regions were the main reasons that Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sought a new route round Africa to India in the late 15th century. Having sailed round the Cape of Good Hope, he reached the city of Calicut on the southwest coast of India.
Vasco da Gama returned to his home country with cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and deals for the Portuguese to continue trade with Indian princes. By finding a new sea route to India the Portuguese explorer opened up the Oceanic spice route from Asia to Europe.
In 1503, four years after Vasco Da Gama's journey to India, 100 tons of spice arrived in Portugal. The resulting pepper sold in Lisbon was five times cheaper than in Venice.
The popularity of salt and pepper as near universal table condiments was due to Louis XIV of France who considered most other forms of seasoning a vulgar act.
Chili sauce and hot spices were banned from prison food in Peru in 1973 on the grounds that they might arouse sexual desires.
Though spices add few calories to food, they can contribute significant portions of micronutrients to the diet.
Tree Shrews are the only other mammal besides us humans that like eating spicy foods.
Sources Spiceadvice, Food For Thought by Ed Pearce
Chinese researchers found that tree shrews have a mutation in their ion channel receptors that causes them to be less sensitive to heat.
Sources Spiceadvice, Food For Thought by Ed Pearce
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ReplyDeleteApart from these writings, the Chinese medical texts also mention the medicinal benefits of turmeric. The knowledge of this spice came into Europe by way of the Arabic traders who brought it with them. More information on turmeric substitutes click here.
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