Why black pepper was once worth more than gold

Flavor of the world

Chapter 1

The Quest for Pepper and Gold

Chapter 2

The Science of Heat and Aroma

Chapter 3

Harvesting the Most Expensive Spices

YOUR GOAL

Master of Flavor of the world

Ch 1 · The Quest for Pepper and Gold

alicecooks Age of Exploration

With pepper and gold, a fortune to find, New ocean routes left old maps behind!

alicecooks How the spice trade launched the Age of Discovery

How the spice trade launched the Age of Discovery

alicecooks Explore how the global quest for pepper, gold, and exotic spices drove European explorers to map the world and launch the Age of Discovery.

Nutmeg

BETA

alicecooks Match spices to their origins to discover the global journey of flavor.

Fun Fact

Pepper rent: In the Middle Ages, some landlords accepted peppercorns as a form of payment because they were as stable and valuable as gold coins.

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Gossip

Which spice makes almost every savory dish taste better?

Quiz

What famous trade route connected Asia and Europe via land for spice trading?

alicecooks Why black pepper was once worth more than gold

Quiz

What were the only islands where nutmeg grew naturally in the 1600s?

alicecooks Why cinnamon bark was a royal status symbol

Quiz

From which part of the tree does cinnamon spice originate?

vera Entire empires once fought brutal wars over the nutmeg in our pantry.

Quiz

Which historical era was largely driven by the search for new spice routes?

Quiz

Which spice was so valuable it was used as currency in ancient Rome?