The Spice Trade By Norman Anthony Balberan
S
ince ancient times, spices have played a vital role in society. They have been a driving force behind many aspects of history, from political to economic, and even religious. Spices used to find their homes only in the respective geographical areas in which they were grown. But that later changed due the spice trade. The spice trade began almost 4,000 years ago as soon as humans left their primitive hunter-gatherer stages of development. Spices were sought on many occasions to be used for bartering for other goods and traveled long distances to reach their trading points on continents across Asia and Europe. The main spices involved were pepper, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Spices such as these were used mainly to preserve food but also used for meditation rituals by Buddhists and yoga sessions by Hindus. During the Middle Ages, spices such as saffron were used to heal diseases, but saffron was only accessible to wealthy people due to exorbitant prices.
Spice trading took on a pivotal role in history between the 15th century and 17th century when Portugal, Spain, and Holland fought for control over routes and territories. The countries involved in the spice trade relied heavily upon them to keep people fed in impoverished land areas. Without spices, food was considered bland and unappetizing because spices were so expensive at that time that only wealthy people could afford them. During that time, spices were considered to be more valuable than gold or silver because of their rarity and exotic nature. The most common spices used were ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, pepper, and turmeric. The most popular spice up until 1492 was black pepper due to its ease of transport. However, when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, which included South America, where the chili pepper originated, the popularity shifted from black pepper to chili peppers due to its lower cost and increased availability. Herbs like sage, mint, basil,
ArtDiction | 26 | September/October 2021
