How Spices Made It's Way Around The World
As societies evolved, people needed more items to sustain their needs. That’s why it became crucial for nations to start trading with each other. That’s how the Silk Road came to be since it helped people from Asia to trade and share their goods with others in Europe and even North Africa. As the name suggests, the Silk Road takes its name from the numerous silk textiles made exclusively in China around the first/second century BC.
However, over the years, other commodities became a part of the Silk Road, including porcelain, perfumes, dyes, tea, and even spices. It’s incredible to see that the Silk Road survived for nearly 1500 years. The last time a shipment was on the original Silk Road dates to the 1450s. These trade routes were known for not having the best security. It’s easy to see why because trading routes were very long and connected multiple countries.
These exchanges were prone to bandits quite a lot. Yet the route managed to survive because, along with food, it also shared religions, scientific discoveries/ideas, and goods. What’s great is that part of the Silk Road still exists; it’s a paved highway that connects the Uygur region in China and Pakistan.
Understanding The Spice Trade Route
While the Silk Road was mainly about trading many items, the Spice Trade Route was all about food and spices. The route connected Eastern and Western countries and helped each other fulfill their needs when it came to spices like turmeric, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and many others. Not only did they manage to revolutionize how spice trades work, but they also made it much easier for everyone to understand spices and access their extraordinary benefits.
The Spice Trade Route was active from ancient times, with its roots stemming from Southeast Asia. It’s where many spices were grown, and merchants went on long journeys to Europe and the Middle East. It all continued during the Middle Ages, too, since the Islamic Caliphates or the Byzantine Empire made it easy to expand the trade route and keep merchants safe
Why Was The Spice Trade Route Important
As you can see from the Spice Trade Route history, people always relied on it to access rare, exclusive foods and spices. It also made it much easier for European countries to access crucial food ingredients. The Spice Trade Route influenced many staple cuisines. For example, Italian and Spanish foods rely on essential spices from India, whereas tomatoes arrived in Italy via the Spice Trade Route and colonial routes.
We can’t imagine living without tomatoes, many food ingredients, or spices. But it was thanks to Spice Trade Route that we got access to these in the first place. Without the Silk Road and spice trading, many staple cuisines would be a lot different than what we see today.
