what spices did the european explorers want

by Prof. Coby Bauch DDS Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

What spices did the European explorers want? Seasonings such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, and turmeric were important items of commerce in the earliest evolution of trade. Cinnamon and cassia found their way to the Middle East at least 4,000 years ago.

Valuable spices used in food preparation across Europe included pepper, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, saffron, anise, zedoary, cumin, and cloves. Although most of these were reserved for the tables of the rich, even the poorer classes used pepper whenever they could get it.Jun 9, 2021

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How were spices discovered in the age of exploration?

Feb 13, 2020 · What spices did the European explorers want? Seasonings such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, and turmeric were important items of commerce in the earliest …

What were some of the most exotic spices of the 1400s?

What spices did the Europeans want? The spice trade involved historical civilizations in Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe. Spices such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper, …

Why were spices so important to Europe in the Middle Ages?

Dec 06, 2010 · What did ancient Europeans use spices for? The ancient Europeans used spices to preserve food and add flavor to the bland foods. Why did Europeans in the 1400s and 1500s want to explorethe world?

What are some British spices that are still relevant today?

Aug 23, 2014 · Spices were much in demand. The world had tasted the difference exotic spices made to common foods and demanded more. These flavors were not just used to enhance …

Why were spices important to European?

In the Middle Ages, Europeans lacked refrigeration and general hygiene, leading to food spoiling quickly. Spices were so important because they helped mask the flavor of not-so-fresh food.Apr 7, 2015

What spices did Europeans want from Asia?

The spice trade involved historical civilizations in Asia, Northeast Africa and Europe. Spices such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, star anise, clove and turmeric were known and used in antiquity and traded in the Eastern World.

What spices were native to Europe?

Central and Northern Europe

Bear's garlic (ramson) (Allium ursinum)
Blue Fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea)
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Caraway (Carum carvi)
Celery seeds (Apium graveolens)
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Cicely (Myrrhis odorata)
Gale (Myrica gale)

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Why did colonizers want spices?

It was certainly not solely because of their taste that people would pay exorbitant prices. In fact, most spices are an acquired taste. However, spices were so popular that prior to the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus, the spice trade was the primary way for people to get rich.May 31, 2020

What spices came from the Spice Islands?

Subsequently, the islands were an important strategic base for the highly profitable spice trade. Nutmeg and cloves largely drove the spice trade. These two widely-used spices were originally only native to this group of islands.

When did spices come to England?

In 1577 the English admiral Francis Drake began his voyage around the world by way of the Strait of Magellan and the Spice Islands, ultimately sailing the Golden Hind, heavily laden with cloves from Ternate Island, into its home port of Plymouth in 1580.

What spices did medieval Europe use?

Medieval cookbooks mention up to 40 different kinds of spices. The most commonly used ones are sugar (which was seen as a spice), black pepper, cinnamon, ginger and saffron. They also used nutmeg, mace and cloves. These were more expensive because they were rarer and were used more scarcely.Jul 1, 2020

Why were there no spices in Europe?

Why did Europeans rely on trading spices instead of growing them locally? The spices that were in demand at the time were not native to Europe, and were not traded as plants that could just be tossed into the ground and propagated in Europe.

Did Europeans access spices?

Article. One of the major motivating factors in the European Age of Exploration was the search for direct access to the highly lucrative Eastern spice trade. In the 15th century, spices came to Europe via the Middle East land and sea routes, and spices were in huge demand both for food dishes and for use in medicines.Jun 9, 2021

Why were Europeans so desperate for spices?

Europeans were desperate to get spices from Asia. Spices were used to preserve foods and keep them from spoiling. Spices, however, were expensive and dangerous to get. Traders had to travel parts of the dangerous Silk Road (a land route from Europe to Asia) to get them.

Why was the spice trade so important?

In its day, the spice trade was the world's biggest industry: it established and destroyed empires, led to the discovery of new continents, and in many ways helped lay the foundation for the modern world.

Introduction

The Spice of Life History can be changed by many things. A battle,an election, an earthquake, or even a rainstorm can alter the course of events.

The Spice Islands

Different spices come from different places. Many of the most desirable spices come from the islands of present-day Indonesia.Indonesia is an archipelago, or chain of islands. It stretches from Southeast Asia’s Malay Peninsula to the continent of Australia.

The Quest for Spices

You might wonder why the Europeans didn’t just sail over to the Spice Islands and buy their spices. It wasn’t that simple. They did not yet know that the Atlantic Ocean went as far as the southern tip of Africa. Nor were their ships and navigational skills suited to such long voyages.

The Travels of Marco Polo

Maffeo and Niccolo Polo were brothers who lived in Venice in the second half of the thirteenth century. The Polos were great traders and travelers. When the overland trade routes that had existed in Roman times opened up again, they set out to find the legendary markets of the East.

Spices and the Age of Exploration

The search for a cheaper way to obtain spices from the East led to the great Age of Exploration and the discovery of the New World. European explorers such as Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama, and Bartholomeu Dias began their long sea voyages to discover a sea route to the sources of spices.

Spices in the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, spices were as valuable in Europe as gold and gems and the single most important force driving the world’s economy. The lack of refrigeration and poor standards of hygiene meant that food often spoiled quickly and spices were in great demand to mask the flavour of food that was far from fresh.

Spices in New Zealand

Migration has had a profound influence on the use of spices in New Zealand in recent times. Immigrant communities have brought their authentic traditional cuisine, and many of their dishes make good use of spices. Now the rest of us can delight in a more varied, tasteful, and interesting cuisine!

Why the Spice Trade Routes were Important to the Europeans

When you’re young, you learn to hate history! You wonder if studying history even does any good to your life later on. A phrase I read again and again in my history class was “Spice Trade”. Today, when I look at the spices in the Grand Bazaar (in Istanbul, Turkey where I live), I don’t understand what all the fuss is about spices.

Contributed to the Prosperity of Venice

Success in spice trade depended largely on having access to a spice trade route or having control over one. Around the 10th century, both Genoa and Venice accumulated a considerable amount of wealth through trading spices in Levant.

Encouraged Europe to Invest in its maritime capability

The spice trade routes were also important to the Europeans as it contributed to the development of Europe’s maritime capabilities. Since the Asians were strong and were cutting off the supply routes between Asia and Europe, Europe had to find alternative means of getting spice supplies.

Led to the Discovery of America and Establishment of Strong Cities

While navigating through the seas in search of new trade routes, Europeans discovered lots of other places such as America. The famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco Da Gama also sailed around South Africa going to the Cape of Good Hope and discovered various other places.

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