Spices In The Middle Ages

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It was during the Middle Ages when the flavor of food was deeply appreciate and very important. From common spices to exotic and rare ones, spices were just a thing during these times and I must say, a prime commodity.

During these times, spices are not added on the food being prepared instead every person can do or can add whatever spices he or she wants.

Very expensive spices were kept under lock and key, with the master or mistress of a household controlling access to these. Spices which had been brought into a country from overseas, which in Europe in medieval times, often meant imported from Asia and the Middle East, were costly and were used sparingly or only on special occasions.

Salt was one of the most costly spices and its use was restricted to wealthy families; the only people who could afford it. Even here, it would usually just be those on the top table at a feast who could have access to salt, everyone else was ‘below the salt’ and unable to use it.

Trading Centers for Spices in the Middle Ages

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Spices are widely available at the local market but majority of these goods came from the Middle East and some parts of Asia. There are even crusaders who trade spices they bought from their journey back to the Holy Land.

Trade in spices had been carried out since at least 2,000 years before the birth of Christ and so, the market was well established by the medieval era.

Cities such as Cairo, Jerusalem and Baghdad sold spices in large quantities to medieval traders, who would in turn bring these spices across the Mediterranean to European trading ports, where they would then be transported to inland shops and markets for sale to the public.

Venice was the most important trading center for spices coming into Europe and held a virtual monopoly across the continent, making this port a wealthy and influential trading center.

The Use of Spices for Health and Hygiene in Medieval Times

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Although spices were used most usually for cooking, some spices did have other domestic uses. Cinnamon and liquorice were particularly popular for oral hygiene, with liquorice root chewed for fresh breath and cinnamon used both as a breath freshener and in place of soap.

Of all the spices, it said the pepper was the most sought after and the most expensive one. Peppers are used as medicine for cardiovascular diseases, acid reflux, sleeping disorders, insect bites, liver complications, joint pains and dental problems.

Other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and saffron are also very in demand during this times.

Thanks for reading guys.

Sources

_{Food in Medieval Times}

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