History of Spices

Contents

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
 What are spices ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
 How are spices different from herbs ………………………………………………………………… 2
Classification ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
 Botanical Origin ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
 Flavour Imparted ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Usage of Spices ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
 Medicine ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
 Flavouring Agents …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
 Advertising ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
 Perfume Manufacture ………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Spices in Medicine ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Spice Trade …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
 History ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
 Consequences ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Myths & Legends …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Interesting Facts ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
 Colonel Sanders ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
 Power Puff Girls ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
 Peri-Peri Sauce ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
World Spice Production ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

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Introduction
As a teenager, I am constantly hungry. I am always constantly turning the fridge and pantry upside down to find something to snack on. Although I spend so much time in the kitchen, it has never caught my eyes that there is an entire world hiding behind the doors of the kitchen cupboards. Spices such as ‘haldi’ (turmeric) and ‘jeera’ (cumin) are now used mainly to add a delicious flavours and aromas to food, but once upon a time, it is the want for these spices that led to the discovery of an entire continent. Fascinating, isn’t it? There was a funny anecdote that occurred while I was researching for this paper. I was helping my mother prepare dinner, when just out of