How spices changed the world

 

James Cook's culinary voyages

How spices changed the world

Continued

 

Frying Pan paused, as if gathering his thoughts.

- All right, listen. You know that Europeans have long been, to put it mildly, not the cleanest of fellows, don't you?

I put the cup down.

- Are you implying that they preferred to wear wigs instead of washing?

- Exactly! - solemnly proclaimed the tomato. - And just imagine: in a world full of strange smells, unpleasant aromas and... er... people with non-obvious hygiene habits, suddenly spices appear!

- Which can disguise all this ugliness," I nodded.

- Bingo! - The pan clattered merrily on the hob. - Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg - all these could make the food not just tolerable, but divinely delicious.

- So, - continued the coffee beans, - when Europe learnt that somewhere on distant islands a plant capable of turning rotten meat into a delicacy...

- the Great Spice Fever began, - solemnly finished the tomato.

I squinted.

- Did you just make that up, or is that the official name?

- Let's pretend it's the official name," the tomato chuckled.

- In general, - the pan continued, - at first the Arabs were the main suppliers of spices to Europe. They bought them in India, transported them along the Great Silk Road, through Persia, Egypt and, finally, delivered them to Venice.

- And the Venetians were already selling them for three times the price! - The coffee beans were indignant. - Oh, they were businessmen!

- Exactly," the pan nodded. - But then the Portuguese got involved.

- They didn't want to pay the middlemen?

- Naturally! - replied the tomato. - They decided to find their own way to India and get the spices directly.

- Thus began the era of the Great Discovery," the pan continued. - In 1498, Vasco da Gama sailed round Africa and arrived in Calcutta.

- And? The Indians welcomed him with open arms?

- Ridiculous," the coffee beans snorted. - 'They looked at his pathetic wares and demanded a proper spice fee.

- Da Gama was furious, but eventually he left with ships full of spices, and Portugal became the world's monopoly in the spice trade," the pan concluded.

- But not for long," added the tomato. - Because then came the Dutch, the English, and the Spanish... and it was chaos.

I twirled the cup thoughtfully in my hands.

- Wait, so the Europeans sent entire fleets to the other side of the world, fought, killed, and spent insane amounts of money for... cinnamon and pepper?

- Exactly," said the pan. - And you have no idea how serious those wars were.

- You mean they were bloody?

- Oh, my friend, you haven't heard the story of the Isle of Run...

I pulled the cup closer.

- So, tell it.

The frying pan coughed for emphasis.

- All right. Listen to the story of how a tiny island in Indonesia caused one of the most amazing deals in history...

To be continued.