I.  Ancient times: 50,000 B.C.- 400s A.D.
    A.  Uses--food, medicine, cosmetic, religious, embalming
    B.  Ancient cultures-- Babylon, Egypt, Assyria
    C.  Phoneicians-- sailors and traders
    D.  Greece and Rome
            1.  Spices symbolic of luxury
            2. Trade flourished in empire
    E. Arabs
            1. Became "middle-men" by 300 A.D.
            2. Kept existance of world east of India secret and frightening
            3. Actually monopolized trade until the Renaissance
 

II. Middle Ages: 476 - 1300 A.D.
    A.  Fall of Rome in 476 A.D.-- unsafe to travel, spice trade slows= "the Dark Ages"
    B.  Venice (Italy):
            1. Beginning of the Crusades in 1100s-- Venice offers financial backing, and receives trade
                concessions in return
            2. Ends up controlling spice trade in Mediterranean
            3. Becomes extremely wealthy-- this money funded the Renaissance
    C.  Price of spices goes very high-- trendy affluence, collected, given as gifts
    D.  Marco Polo gets back from a trip to China in 1298:
            1.  His book tells everyone about the Far East-- first western contact with eastern cultures
            2.  Informs Europe about the more exotic spices available
            3.  Also infuses Europe with lots of Arabic achievements:
                 a.  arabic numbers, leading to bookkeeping and eventually capitalism
                 b.  astronomical and nautical knowledge that made later world voyages possible
                 c.  the carpet and the sofa!
 

III. Renaissance: 1300-1700 A.D.
    A.  Europeans stimulated to find a sea route to the Far East
    B.  All nations want the spice trade--"cut out the middleman"

    1400s--Everybody tries to get to the Far East
        1.  1492--C. Columbus (Spain) goes West to get to the Far East
                    a. finds the New World and calls it the West Indies, establishes Spanish claim
                    b. finds New World spices
        2.  1497--Vasco da Gama (Portugal) goes east around Africa and reaches India
        3.  1490s--Portuguese travel to South America, claim Brazil

    1500s-- Portuguese take over spice trade
        1.  1502-1516-- Portuguese reach India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Moluccas-- conquered,
             enslaved, and killed any resistant natives
        2.  Portugal controlls exports of eastern spices, and starts settlements in China and Japan
        3.  1522-- Magellan (Spain) makes first voyage around the world, claims the Phillipines
        4.  1529--Spain gives the Spice Islands to Portugal, and quits the spice trade (concentrates on
                      plundering the New World for gold and jewels)
        5.  1578-- Sir Francis Drake (England) makes another voyage around the world, establishes
                        England in India

    1600s-- the Dutch take it away from Portugal
        1. The Dutch (from Holland) start the Dutch East India Company and take over the Spice Islands,
            Malacca, Indonesia, and Ceylon
        2.  Dutch are harsher occupiers than Portuguese-- burn what they can't control, and kill smugglers
        3.  Dutch also establish colonies in Australia, New Zeland, and South Africa (=Afrikaaners)
 

IV.  Early Modern times: 1700-1900
    A.  British East India Company wants the spice trade, and the trade of tea, silk, cotton
    B.  1780s-1800s-- War!!  England takes India, Ceylon, and Spice Islands away from the Dutch
    C.  1818-- Seeds of eastern spices are smuggled around the world, monopolies broken up, start
          of slave-labor on plantations
    D.  1860s-- U.S. clipper ships bring prosperity to northern U.S. with black pepper trade
 

V.  Modern remnants of the spice trade:
    A.  Dutch Afrikaaners in S. Africa
    B.  Portuguese influence in Brazil
    C.  Spanish influence in Philippines, Latin America
    D.  Populations of African descent in West Indies
    E.  British influence in India
    F.  Various countries, especially Africa-- political struggles due to power vacuum after independence
         gained from European colonizers
 

VI. Origins of Some Common Spices (many now cultivated elsewhere)

• A. Plant origin--same sorts of aromatic compounds as perfumes--feeding deterrents, mostly. "Herb"--double meaning---plant vs. condiment; spice--fruit part

 

 
 
 
 
 

B. Spice Islands, Sri Lanka, & India

• cinnamon--Cinnamomum verum (= C. zeylanicum)--Lauraceae--bark; C. cassia inferior substitute

mace (aril), nutmeg (endosperm)--Myristica fragrans--Myristicaceae--nutmeg toxic in quantity
cloves--Syzygium aromaticum--Myrtaceae--flower buds--flavoring, antiseptic, tobacco; flavor can be synthesized
cardamom--Elettaria cardamomum--Zingiberaceae--pods--originally medicinal--Indian cooking, Danish pastry
pepper--Piper nigrum--Piperaceae--drupes, black or white depending on processing
turmeric--Cucurma longa--Zingiberaceae--root--yellow coloring


B. China

• ginger--Zingiber officinale--Zingiberaceae--rhizome--powdered or candied


C. Mediterranean, Mid- and Near East

• bay leaf--Laurus nobilis--Lauraceae--leaves (do not eat them!)

poppy--Papaver somniferum--probably from Medit.--flavoring, also narcotic
saffron--Crocus sativus--Iridaceae--stigmas--most costly condiment: 150,000 flowers/kg
sesame--Sesamum orientale (S. indicum)--Pedaliaceae--seeds, seed oil


D. New World

• allspice--Pimenta dioica--Myrtaceae--fruits--flavor of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg

red peppers, hot peppers, paprika--Capsicum annuum, etc.--Solanaceae--berries (capsaicin); C. frutescens--tabasco
vanilla--Vanilla fragrans--Orchidaceae--berry--only crop from large family; synthetic is inferior and often adulterated

VIII. Important Spice and Flavoring Families

• A. Apiaceae(Umbelliferae)--Carrot Family--fruits and/or leaves used
• anise--Pimpinella anisum--Mediterranean--licorice flavor, often in liquers

caraway--Carum carvi--Mediterranean--breads, sauerkraut--antiflatulent
celery seeds--Apium graveolens--Mediterranean
coriander (fruits), cilantro (leaves)--Coriandrum sativum--Mediterranean--Indian, Mexican food (pico de gallo) Most folks either love cilantro or hate it greatly.
cumin--Cuminum cyminum--Near East--Indian and Mexican foods
dill--Anethum graveolens--Mediterranean--pickling, with fish
fennel--Foeniculum vulgare--Mediterranean--Licorice flavor
parsley--Petroselinum crispum--Eurasia--garnish, vitamin C


B. Lamiaceae (Labiatae)--Mint Family--mostly actually herbs

• basil--Ocimum basilicum--Asia--pesto, Italian food

catnip--Nepeta cataria, etc.--SW. and Cen. Asia
chervil--Anthriscus cerefolium--Russia--cooking
lavender--Lavandula spp.--Mediterranean
marjoram--Origanum majorana--Mediterranean--like oregano, but milder
mint--Mentha x piperita, M. spicata--Mediterranean--jelly, candy, medicine (flavor and antiseptic, antispasmodic), gum
oregano--Origanum vulgare--Mediterranean--Italian and Mexican cooking
rosemary--Rosmarinus officinalis--Mediterranean--cooking, tea, perfumes
sage--Salvia officinalis--Mediterranean--used medicinally; modern testing says no value; used in meats (sausage)
thyme----Mediterranean--cooking, mouthwas, cough drops (thymol)


C. Brassicaceae--Mustard Family

• horseradish--Armoracia rusticana--Eurasia--root

mustard--Brassica nigra, B. alba (hirta)--Mediterranean--ground seeds


D. Liliaceae--Lily Family

• chives--Allium schoenoprasum--Europe and Mediterranean

garlic--Allium sativum--Mediterranean?--culinary and medicinal uses
onion--Allium cepa--Mediterranean?


E. Miscellaneous

• curry-- a mixture of spices and a type of dish

tarragon--Artemisia dracunculus-- Asteraceae--used in vinegar in Russia, also in French cooking
 
 

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Compiled by Monique Reed.  Last Updated by Amanda Neill 04/08/1999.