Know a thing or two… Spices

Aromatic, earthy, peppery, smoky or more – get a f lavour of these store cupboard stars

Illustration: SALLY CAULWELL (FOLIOART)

Today, we reach for the spice rack with nonchalance, picking up jars of spices in supermarkets for the same price as a pint of milk. What seems mundane to us would be mind-boggling to our ancestors. Just as they perceived spices as treasured commodities, they remain worthy of our appreciation, exploration and wonder. Spices interweave history. The appetite for aromatic roots, seeds and bark carved out ‘The Spice Route’ – first linking East to West, and responsible not just for the exchange of goods but the movement of people, ideas and the evolution of cuisines. As early as 2000 BCE, Chinese spices reached the Middle East via caravan relays wending across 5,000 miles. Thanks to this, Sri Lankan cinnamon was used in Ancient Greece and Southern Indian peppercorns were popular in…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2023

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