They wanted to trade, they wanted to find an all water route to Asia, and they wanted to discover/find new land. UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library told through eight everyday products. Vanilla ($50-$200 per pound) ‘Little pod’ is the meaning of vanilla, which accurately describes how a … First out of the blocks came Christopher Columbus who, in searching for a quicker route to India, bumped into the Americas instead. Salt was used to … Please refresh the page and try again. You will receive a verification email shortly. Image is from Georg Braun and Franz Hogenber's atlas Civitates orbis terrarum. Spain and Portugal were two of the most powerful countries in Europe, though Venice (which was its own country during that era) wasn’t far behind. 1. Spices were so important because they helped mask the flavor of not-so-fresh food. The Red Sea ports were an important gateway which connected India to the western world and established trading of spices into the western markets. Rabab Khan. Tonight you might grind a bit on Caesar salad or use it to perk up a steak, but pepper was once so valuable that it could be used to pay the rent. Europeans valued literally for adding flavor to their food and for use for making medicines. Spices had several uses at the time that include culinary purposes, preservation of food (the largest use case), uses in embalming the dead, making perfumes and usage for execution of certain religious rituals. Rather, it was because medieval cuisine placed a premium on a variety of flavors. History & Special Collections At that time, spices were quite sought after, but supply was low. Europeans used spices to flavour their food but, unfortunately spices did not grow anywhere near them so they were very valuable and if they could find a way to get them they would be very rich. They also had a better chance of profit. Learn why this spice is so important in cooking and why humans have been looking for substitutes and equivalents throughout human history. During the Middle Ages, spices were as valuable in Europe as gold and gems and the single most important force driving the world’s economy. Peppercorns were used in place of coins and spices by the pound was used as payment for taxes, fees, etc. At one point in the 1300s, when tariffs were at their highest, a pound of nutmeg in Europe cost seven fattened oxen and was a more valuable commodity than gold. Why were the spices so important in Europe They wanted to cut out the middleman to get the prices of items sold at the origin which was cheaper. So, by the 1400s, when navigational equipment had improved to the point that long-haul sailing became possible, the kings and queens of Europe set out to change the balance of world trade by funding spice-hunting missions of their own. Spice Wars and and the Nutmeg Trade. why was the spice trade so big during the age of exploration? Why were such spices and related products so valuable and expensive in Bible times? By that time, burgeoning European outposts already formed a ring around the Indian Ocean, bringing enormous wealth to their home countries and fuelling the colonization of any territory deemed suitable for crops. The cost of spices was so great that they were presented as gifts. The costs of spices rose so much that spices such as nutmeg and saffron cost more than the same weight of gold. Therefore, spices were valued even more due to their low supply. At the time, spices were very valuable. Piquant flavors stimulate salivation and promote digestion. Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. Some spices, such as pepper and cinnamon, do have antimicrobial properties, but their reputation as food preservatives is unwarranted. Since spices were once worth their weight in gold, control of the Moluccas was synonymous with extreme wealth. Spices didn't just make merchants rich across the globe — it established vast empires, revealed entire continents to Europeans and tipped the balance of world power. What evidence shows how valuable spices were back in the fifteenth century. Giant 14-foot-long crocodile found with human remains in stomach, Great white-shark-sized ancient fish discovered by accident from fossilized lung, Russia reports first cases of humans catching bird flu H5N8, Extremists struggle with certain kinds of brain processing, research shows, Rare Roman-era phallus carving found in UK. They were of high value because of their relative geographical scarcity. These two widely-used spices were originally only native to this group of islands. Many countries came and trade spice around the city. Fax: 310/825-0465, ©2002 Regents of the University of California, http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm, UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library. UCLA It is rumored that Alaric I (King of the Visigoths) as well as Attila (Ruler of the Huns) both demanded a ransom of black pepper (over a ton worth) in order to stop attacking Rome in the 5th century. Back then, the colorful grains were used for flavoring food, but also for such tasks as making perfume, embalming the dead, preserving meat and sprucing up salve recipes in traditional medicine. WHY WERE SPICES IMPORTANT? The increasing custom duties in the 15th century resulted in a 30-fold rise in the price of Indian pepper, at a time when the social desire for pepper and other exotic spices was maximal. Spices were very ex People would have killed you to take possession of these spices. 12-077 CHS, Box 951798 The word “spice” derives from the Latin species, or ‘special wares’, and refers to an item of special value, as opposed to ordinary articles of trade. Europe used brutal tactics in India and Southeast Asia in efforts to get in on the spice trade. Calicut, India as rendered in 1572. Vampire squid fossil 'lost' during the Hungarian Revolution rediscovered, Humpback whale survives 4-hour attack by gang of orcas, Cosmologists create 4,000 virtual universes to solve Big Bang mystery. Pepper was so valuable, that it was used as currency or collateral. Some of them grow in the wild and are very good source of food preservative especially for industrially processed foods. The Dutch monopolized the nutmeg trade and kept it centered in the Moluccas. The era was the 1400s. Spices, along with salt, would have been incorporated in mixtures to pickle and preserve meats; the pungent spices were useful for relieving the salty taste of such foods. Spices were also thought to have medicinal properties, adding to their allure. From Sanskrit singabera (in the shape of antlers) … Changes in pepper prices had an effect on national economies and on aggressive reactions comparable to that seen in the Western appetite for fuel oil today. Many of the wines also contained spices! Despite their enormous losses, the incredibly valuable cargo of 50,000 pounds of cloves and nutmegs from the Moluccas made the enterprise seem like a commercial success. Visit our corporate site. Over the years the upper classes in Europe developed a taste for them, and their limited supply made them very expensive. 5. They bring out the unique natural taste of cuisines and could be use to change the look of food to make it more attractive in colour. The excessive value of spices in Europe is revealed by the fact that Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe started with five ships which were supplied to last their 250 or so crew members for many months; the expedition limped home with only one ship and an emaciated crew of 18 surviving men who returned to Spain in 1522 after their three-year horrendous expedition. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1798 Ginger. Zingiber officinale, family zingiberaceae. Burnt spices or incenses could be used to help counteract the malodors that were prevalent in rich homes that lacked sanitary mechanisms for the disposition of excreta and rotting foods. The map of the colonial period was largely drawn in those frenzied years when all of Europe clamored for a piece of the spice trade, using dubious and often brutal tactics to establish a foothold in India and Southeast Asia. You likely concoct dishes full of cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and even salt, but these now common seasonings were once exotic, and in some cases, rare. © One is now called Manhattan. Most Popular In the Middle Ages, spices were valued commodities, but not, as most people assume, for their ability to preserve meat. Tel: 310/825-6940 Disappointed he hadn't reached India, Columbus' name for the native people he encountered in America and their local version of a spicy condiment — "Indians" and "peppers" — stuck nonetheless. Nearly 2,500 years ago, Arab traders told stories of the ferocious cinnamon bird, or cinnamologus. Conquerers would accept spice stores as booty or as a victory tax. Because they played many important roles, as when they were used in beauty care, religious services, and burial of the dead. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. Food wasn't tasty 2. https://brewminate.com/the-spice-islands-and-the-age-of-exploration Spices can improve the palatability and the appeal of dull diets or spoiled food. During the Spice Wars of the 17th and 18th century the Dutch uprooted groves of nutmeg and cloves trees to keep prices high and cut their competitors out of the market. Spices were highly valued because, as well as being used in cooking, many had ritual, religious or medical uses. Pungent spices can cause sweating, which may even cause a cooling sensation in tropical climates; on the other hand they can add a sense of inner warmth when present in cooked foods used in cold climates. Thus, ginger would be used to heat the stomach and improve digestion; clove was believed to comfort the sinews; mace would prevent colic and bloody fluxes or diarrhea; nutmeg would benefit the spleen and relieve any bad cold. I can tell a bit about why Europeans valued spice. Even the aristocracy — one of the biggest consumers of imported spices — began finding it hard to afford their shipments of peppercorn and clove. Pepper’s popularity quickly spread through world cuisines once more trade routes were established. Before the age of exploration these spices made their way to Europe via the silk road. Thus, spices served to make a political statement when a baronial lord invited possible rivals to an expensive display of profligacy at a sumptuous banquet. Spain and Portugal spent much of the 16th century fighting over cloves, while England and the Dutch dueled over nutmeg in Indonesia. Hot pungent spices were used more liberally in winter diets or to treat “cold” diseases accompanied by excess phlegm. One fascinating tribute to the value of spices, such as peppercorn, was their acceptance in medieval times as a substitute for money; thus, some landlords would be paid a “peppercorn rent”. NY 10036.