Herbs and spices are added to food and drinks in small amounts for their taste, and sometimes for medical purposes or as a food preservative.

Spices have long been quite important in world trade. They were traded along the Silk Road and were a major reason for European exploration and colonisation during the Age of Discovery. At one time, some spices were amazingly expensive — in medieval London, pepper cost more than its weight in gold — but today most can be had in many places at moderate prices.

Understand

As a general rule, spices are more diverse and hotter in tropical climates, with cuisines such as the Mexican cuisine and the South Asian cuisine known for their heavy use of herbs and spices.

Spices have been used for seasoning and food preservation, and their high value has induced overseas trade on routes such as the Silk Road and the Cape Route between Europe and Asia.

Pepper

The Piper nigrum originates from India. Black and green peppercorns are the unripe fruits; the white ones are ripe. Pepper is so ubiquitous that the word "pepper" is used as a general term for unrelated fruits and spices.

Chili pepper

The Capsicum genus contain sweet bell peppers and chili peppers. Originating in Mesoamerica, they are cultivated and used around the world.

Destinations

• 1 Grenada. Known as the "Spice Isle" of the Caribbean, it is a major source of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa. (updated Feb 2024)
• 2 Malabar (India). A coastal region known for spice trade.  
• 3 Maluku (Indonesia). Known as the Spice Islands, known for spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and mace.  
• 4 Zanzibar (Tanzania). One of few places where saffron is cultivated.