num_pages: 128
description: The scent of oregano immediately conjures the comforts of Italian food curry is synonymous with Indian flavor and the fire of chili peppers ignites the cuisine of Latin America. Spices are often the overlooked essentials that define our greatest eating experiences. In this global history of spices Fred Czarra tracks the path of these fundamental ingredients from the trade routes of the ancient world to the McCormicks brands contemporary domination of the global spice market. Focusing on the five premier spicesblack pepper cinnamon nutmeg cloves and chili pepperwhile also relating the story of many others along the way Czarra describes how spices have been used in cooking throughout history and how their spread has influenced regional cuisines around the world. Chili peppers for example migrated west from the Americas with European sailors and spread rapidly in the Philippines and then to India and the rest of Asia where the spice quickly became essential to local cuisines. The chili pepper also traveled west from India to Hungary where it eventually became the national spicepaprika. Mixing a wide range of spice fact with fascinating spice fablesuch as giant birds building nests of cinnamonCzarra details how the spice trade opened up the first age of globalization prompting a cross-cultural exchange of culinary technique and tradition. This savory spice history will enliven any dinner table conversationand give that meal an unforgettable dash of something extra.
language: English
title: Spices: A Global History
publisher: Reaktion Books