Spices During The Middle Ages

People during the Middle Ages were not satisfied with the original taste of food. Therefore, spices were used to brighten the taste of the food. Spices were greatly valued throughout the Middle Ages, thus making it one of the most used items. The purpose of spices was to give flavor to food or to drown out specific smells.

To begin, spices had many values during the Middle Ages. They had much value due to its many uses. One being able to give food a better taste or flavor. Another could be used to camouflage bad smells. Spices weren’t cheap during the Middle Ages. They used to cost as much as an animal, for example, “A pound of saffron cost the same as a horse; a pound of ginger, as much as a sheep; 2 pounds of mace as much as a cow. A German

For example, “In the Early part of the middle ages (before the Crusades), Asian Spices in Europe were costly and mainly used by the wealthy.” (History of Spices) Through this quote, it shows how spices were not cheap and that they were mostly used by the wealthy. Spices were expensive then, but as time went on, spices have lost their value due to it being grown more regularly and became widely available to everyone. However, spices were not all used for the same reasons, for instance, “Pepper, saffron, ginger cinnamon and clove were the most bought spices, in decreasing order, and there was also (dried) coriander, as a matter of interest.” (Spices in Medieval Europe) This quote proves that all spices had a different purpose. Spices were also traded at trade centres, for example, “The spices introduced during the Middle Ages came from the Eastern lands which the Crusaders travelled through to reach Jerusalem. Commerce changed to include different products, including spices from Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, Damascus in Syria, Baghdad & Mosul in Iraq and other great cities which were important trading centre because of their strategic location, astride the trade routes to India, Persia and the Mediterranean. The spices were then carried across the Mediterranean to the Italian seaports to the major towns and cities of Europe.” (Spices in the Middle Ages) As proved through this quote, it shows how spices were