Spices have been traded for thousands of years along routes connecting South Asia, the Middle East, and East Asia. Arab and Indian merchants facilitated land routes through the Middle East and India, while Indonesian merchants traveled throughout Asia and East Africa. The Portuguese took control of sea routes in the 15th century, reducing Europe's reliance on Venetian merchants for spices. The discovery of the Americas in the late 15th century introduced new spices like vanilla, chili peppers, and chocolate to Europe. Today, India and Indonesia are the largest exporters of spices, with pepper being the most widely traded.

1. SPICES
HISTORY OF SPICES

2. Early history
• Spice trade developed throughout South Asia and Middle
East by at least 2000 BC (cinnamon and black pepper), and
in East Asia (herbs and pepper).
• The Egyptians used herbs for mummification (thyme),
placed spices in the tombs (cinnamon, cassia, juniper
berries, peppercorns...)
• The ancient Egyptian medical papyrus (Papyrus Ebers)
from 1550 BC - Egyptians knew and used cumin, cassia,
cardamom, mustard, sesame and saffron.
• Ancient Romans and Greeks crowned their leaders with dill
and laurel (babér)
• Early uses were connected with magic, medicine, religion,
tradition, and preservation.

3. Who transported the spices?
• Indonesian merchants travelled around China, India,
the Middle East, and the east coast of Africa.
• Arab merchants facilitated the routes through the
Middle East and India (camel caravans) - Egyptian port
city of Alexandria became the main trading center for
spices.
• Indian spices as well as luxury goods traded along the
Incense Route (Tömjénút)
• along the Silk Route - connecting China and the
Mediterranean Sea through the Asian continent.
• The most important discovery were the monsoon
winds and sailing gradually replaced land routes

4. Silk Route (red), Spice Trade Routes
(blue)

5. Middle Ages
• Spices were among the most demanded and
expensive products in Europe and in the Middle
Ages - the most common: black pepper,
cinnamon (cheaper alternative: cassia), cumin,
nutmeg, ginger and cloves
• The most exclusive was saffron, used for coloring
and flavoring
• From the 8th until the 15th century, the Republic
of Venice had the monopoly on spice trade with
the Middle East  rich

6. • Herbs - used to help preserve meat + cover
the rotting taste of meals that couldn’t be
refrigerated.
• Herbs also helped cover the smell of people
who bathed rarely.
• This period was not favorable to the progress
of herbs in medicine - the Catholic Church
began burning herbalists, associated them
with witchcraft and paganism.

7. The early modern period
• Spain and Portugal were not happy to pay the high price that
Venice demanded for spices.
• The control of trade routes and the spice-producing regions
 Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sailed to India in
1499.
• The Portuguese took control of the sea routes to India, some
spice-producing regions and traded directly with China –
many spices were brought to Europe via Lisbon.

8. • At around the same time, Christopher
Columbus returned from the New World.
• With the discovery of the New World came
new spices, including allspice, chili peppers,
vanilla, and chocolate.

9. Now
• USA (Germany, Japan and France) is the
biggest importer in the world
• India (Indonesia, Brazil) is the biggest exporter
(pepper, cardamom, chili, ginger, cumin and
curry)
• The most important spice is pepper (paprika,
chili powder, cayenne pepper)

10. Maluku islands (Spice Islands)
• nutmeg, mace and cloves were originally found only there