Why Were Cloves And Nutmeg So Sought After In The Indian Ocean Trade?

Pepper, along with other spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, was such a hot commodity five centuries ago that it drove nations to sail across vast oceans searching for new routes to the spice-rich Orient.

Why were these spices so sought after in the Indian Ocean trade?

Why were these spices so sought after in the Indian Ocean Trade? These spices were so sought after in the Indian Ocean Trade because they were both good in food and they both had medical value.

Why were cloves and nutmeg so valuable?

The Arabs were the first to use cloves and nutmeg extensively in food preparation. In fact, spices were greatly appreciated all across the Middle East for their fragrance and medicinal properties, as well as for their enhancement of flavor in food.

Why was nutmeg so sought after?

So, why was nutmeg so valuable? Well, Krondl likens it to the iPhone of the 1600s. It was fashionable among the wealthy. It was exotic and potent enough to induce hallucinations — or at least a nutmeg bender, as detailed in this account from The Atlantic.

Why was the Indian spice trade so important?

For centuries India was the nexus of international trade by land and by sea. The valuable commodities exported from India included botanicals used as medicine, spices, dyes, unguents for rituals and worship and perfumes and cosmetics, as well as manufactured goods like dyed cottons and artificially colored stones.

Why was spices so valuable for trade?

Spices, which today are inexpensive and widely available, were once very tightly guarded and generated immense wealth for those who controlled them. The spice trade began in the Middle East over 4,000 years ago.

What was the spice trade and why was it important?

spice trade, the cultivation, preparation, transport, and merchandising of spices and herbs, an enterprise of ancient origins and great cultural and economic significance. Seasonings such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, and turmeric were important items of commerce in the earliest evolution of trade.

Why were spices so valuable 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.

What is nutmeg and clove?

Both grow on trees, but while the clove is actually the flower of an evergreen tree, nutmegs are seeds (while the “half,” mace, comes from the outer coating of a nutmeg seed).

What were cloves used for in the Middle Ages?

Cloves were brought to Europe around the 4th century by Arab traders, but they were not popular there until the Middle Ages, when they were used to mask the flavor of spoiled foods, and were heavily traded by Arab sailors.

What was nutmeg used for in the 1500s?

Nutmeg gained a lot of popularity in the late 1500s as a treatment for plague, and became even trendier among European elites once they discovered its hallucinogenic properties (which are still a thing, according to The Atlantic).

How did herbs and spices play a role in cultures throughout the world?

How do herbs and spices play a role in cultures throughout the world? The earliest written records indicating the use of herbs and spices come from ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Indian cultures. They were used for medicinal purposes and to flavor and preserve foods.

Why did the British want spices?

The British were stimulated by an admiration for the unknown, a yearning to experience the exotic, and most importantly, affordability and profitability. Spices were considered to be a status symbol in Britain, and for a long period in time, they were restricted to the upper-class.

What is nutmeg used for?

Nutmeg, a pungent and a warm, slightly sweet tasting spice, is used to flavor many kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and such beverages as eggnog.

What was nutmeg used for in the Middle Ages?

For the most part, medieval Europeans used nutmeg for the same medicinal properties as the Arabs and Indians, especially for intestinal ailments. Medieval Europeans also believed it warded off the plague.

What is the history of nutmeg?

Nutmeg originated in the Banda Islands of Indonesia, and was discovered by the Portuguese in 1512. The importance of the nutmeg seed was propagated by the Dutch. The name nutmeg is derived from the Latin nux muscatus, meaning “musky nut.” In India, nutmeg is known as Jaiphal.

Why were spices such valued trading goods in the 1400s?

Why were spices such valued trading goods in the 1400s? The spices were valued trading goods because they were high in demand. During the Crusades, the Europeans were at the end of the Silk Road and, thus, were exposed to the goods of Asia, which include spices.

Why were spices so important to people in the past?

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.

Why did the spice trade start?

In 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama made the first sea voyage from Europe to India, via the southernmost tip of Africa. The mission was driven by a desire to find a direct route to the places where spices were plentiful and cheap, cutting out the middlemen.

What spices were traded in the spice trade?

The principal and most profitable goods they traded in were spices – giving the routes their name. As early as 2000 BC, spices such as cinnamon from Sri Lanka and cassia from China found their way along the Spice Routes to the Middle East.

What was the most valuable spice in the Middle Ages?

saffron
More than half of all medieval English and French recipes call for saffron, the most costly of all medieval and modern spices (or herbs).