How did the spice Route impact the world?

How did the spice Route impact the world?

Spices didn’t just make merchants rich across the globe — it established vast empires, revealed entire continents to Europeans and tipped the balance of world power. If the modern age has a definitive beginning, it was sparked by the spice trade, some historians have argued.

How did spices change life in Europe?

Spices were prized goods in the Middle Ages and the quest for spices saw the development of an early model of globalisation. Desired for their culinary, medicinal and cosmetic properties, spices fuelled European colonial empires to create political, military and commercial networks to capitalise on the trade.

Why were spices so important in history?

Spices were among the most valuable items of trade in ancient and medieval times. As long ago as 3500 BC the ancient Egyptians were using various spices for flavouring food, in cosmetics, and for embalming their dead. The use of spices spread through the Middle East to the eastern Mediterranean and Europe.

What was the importance of the spice routes?

Perhaps more important was the exchange of knowledge: knowledge of new peoples and their religions, languages, expertise, artistic and scientific skills. The ports along the Maritime Silk Roads (Spice Routes) acted as melting pots for ideas and information.

How did the spice trade change the world?

The world’s insatiable appetite for spices sparked trade routes that now span the globe. The spice trade redrew the world map and came to define our global economy. Nearly 2,500 years ago, Arab traders told stories of the ferocious cinnamon bird, or cinnamologus. This large bird made its nest from delicate cinnamon sticks, the traders said.

Why is the consumption of spices rising in the UK?

“Consumption of spices is rising in countries like the UK because of the associated health benefits.” Turmeric is a prime example. Some studies claim a vast array of health benefits of turmeric, or one of its components, curcumin.

Where did the spices come from for the Silk Roads?

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.