Within the development of Europe, one would think that religion and politics played the key roles in shaping the regions, in which they did, but many individuals don’t realize the true impact of the role spices played in the evolution of the economy and expansion of Europe. Food alone represented a vast field of human experience and shaped peoples’ beliefs and values, aesthetics and most importantly their social attitudes toward one another. Spices contributed to these attitudes, providing a potential window for the individual to change their understanding of the political and social life of certain cultures and nations. The main question that the author, Paul Freedman poses within the text is, why did the Europeans and the Romans before them, maintain such a high demand for spices for almost a millennium?
The first few chapters are devoted to the culinary side of the spices, particularly regarding the specific seasonings: pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and most importantly saffron. Spices were a common good used within households, being used in large amounts not just within food but even drinks; as Freedman put it, “thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, spices appear in 75 percent of the recipes.” . The types of spices used varied with each region; the English preferring cubeb while the French opted for long pepper. The cuisines of both regions in accordance to the wealthier classes both “represented the triumph of virtuosity over simplicity”. The primary sources researched by Freedman were immense, mainly from originating from cookbooks of that era efficiently providing a better understanding of the prominence of spices within dishes and the differing styles.
Although spices were very common, the amount consumed var...
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...ition of spices into the market during the Middle Ages not only created an economic boom but also led to the change in social, political, and religious outlooks of society. The vast importance of the spice trade opened the doors for nations to expand and create new relationships with neighboring regions, but most importantly it allowed individuals such as Columbus, Da Gama, Polo and other explorers to be able to discover new domains that eventually led to the colonization of the Americas today. Paul Freedman’s book does an excellent job in enlightening the reader of how meaningful spices were throughout the centuries and with the help of numerous primary sources, the message was clear just after reading the first chapter. The book allows us to have a better understanding of the fundamental importance spices played in shifting the medieval times into the modern era.
Throughout the Middle Ages, cities in Afro-Eurasia grew as trade centers due to advantages such as faster transportation from the waters of the ocean. Calicut brought merchants together from all around Asia because the government protected them through laws and policies, also of their spices exclusively pepper. As a result of the exchanges happening in Calicut, there was a war between Calicut, Portuguese and Chinese forces heavily armed with men and many lethal weapons. People from China and Portugal wanted to trade for Calicuts specialties, specialties like spices especially pepper that made them more wanted than others. From trading people inherited culture, religion, and ups and downs from trade.
"On Food and History." 'On Food and History' N.p., 13 May 2008. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.
When people think of the ancient Roman civilization, notions of trained legions bent on conquering territory and evocative oratory from celebrated politicians often come to mind. And while early Romans will always be credited for both their insatiable military expansion and their enlightened ideas of government, the rapid growth of Rome was not built on these two pillars alone. Indeed, what led to the rise of such a dominating power in a matter of centuries was not simply from the end of a sword, but from that which grew from the earth -- what the people cultivated, traded and consumed. One very significant agricultural need of a growing population that transformed the bounty of the harvest into a cultural ritual and tradition of Roman life was wine. This presentation will demonstrate how the beverage became a locally grown and manufactured staple that played a powerful role in the social, institutional and economic life of the civilization.
Mintz, Sidney W. Tasting Food, Tasting Freedom: Excursions into Eating, Culture, and the Past. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996. [secondary source]
During the 15th century Europe had numerous changes. The population expanded rapidly which gave rise to new classes of merchants. European nations were very wealthy when it came to spices. Therefore, they traded them on the land route from Asia. These land routes were controlled by the Turkish Empire, which lead to many problems for the countries who were trying to trade these spices and acquire other valuables. This then steered them to begin searching for other routes of trade to essentially cut out the “middle man”. A race then began to erupt between many European countries such as Portugal, Spain, France, and England. These four countries all wanted to be the first to discover new land. However, Portugal pulled ahead and sailed along
This triumphant history is simmering beneath a complicated mixture of endearing and polarizing perspectives. As for many, these are dishes that celebrate a heritage of culinary genius, community-building, and resourcefulness. However, there are many who reach the opposite conclusion and criticize soul food as an exceedingly unhealthy cuisine that needs a warning label, or slave food that is unworthy of celebration (Miller,
Christopher Columbus voyage centered around one purpose, which was to find out a shorter route to the Asian countries. Instead of finding Asia, he found the “New World.” During Columbus’s time, trade between Europe and Asia was extremely lucrative. Spices were very important in Europe at the time. They were used for flavoring
The immediate cause of the European voyages of discovery was the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. While Egypt and Italian city-state of Venice was left with a monopoly on ottoman trade for spices and eastern goods it allowed Portugal and Spain to break the grip by finding an Atlantic route. Portugal took the lead in the Atlantic exploration because of the reconquest from the Muslims, good finances, and their long standing seafaring traditions. In dealing with agriculture, The Portuguese discovered Brazil on accident, but they concentrated on the Far East and used Brazil as a ground for criminals. Pernambuco, the first area to be settled, became the world’s largest sugar producer by 1550. Pernambuco was a land of plantations and Indian slaves. While the market for sugar grew so did the need for slaves. Therefore the African Slave start became greatly into effect. Around 1511 Africans began working as slaves in the Americas. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his voyage from Spain to the Americas. The Euro...
Barker, Hulme, and Iverson. Cannibalism and the Colonial World. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Some explorers were not looking for land to claim, but faster routes. Columbus went exploring trying to find a faster way to Asia/India for spice trading. The reason for this was because his country was receiving Asian Spices from Muslims(Document 3). In order to get the spices from the Muslims, high prices had to be paid since it was exchanged from person to person. Columbus went sailing and found an area that had inhabitants who looked like people he has never seen before which he assumed were Indians. Columbus saw they had foods he never had before and he started trading with them. He brought over foods such as the Irish Potato, Florida Oranges, Colombian Coffee, and French Vanilla Ice cream, for trading purposes(Document 6). All of those
In his first month of living in Provence, Mayle experiences his first Provencal meal, in which he appears to enjoy significantly. He describes it as “a meal that [he] shall never forget; more accurately, it was several meals that [he] shall never forget, because it went beyond gastronomic frontiers of anything [he] had ever experienced, both in quantity and length” (14). The vivid phrases and non colloquial words Mayle uses to recall his first cuisine experience indicates the overall powerful influence that the food had over him. As he later finds out, the men and women of Provence have an “interest in food [that] verges on obsession” (15) and that the “French are as passionate about food as other nationalities are about sport and politics” (16). Also, Mayle notices that “the Chez Michel is [...] not sufficiently pompous to attract too much attention from the Guide Michelin” (60). In fact, the “clients of the restaurant eat very well in the back, [...] the owner cooks, [...] members of the family help at table and kitchens, [and has] no
Throughout this chapter Schlosser takes his reader through the journey of the french fry from spud to stomach. Schlosser uses his talents to educate the world about the ins and outs of the processed food and flavor industry, informing the fast food nation, “Why the fries Taste Good.”
after the end of the Roman world, this level of sophistication is not seen again until perhaps the fourteenth century, some 800 years later” (Ward-Perkins, 88). The production of pottery made by the Romans was a phenomenon. Ward-Perkins pointed out before the fall of Rome, Roman pottery was made in excellent quality and in massive quantities that it spread out throughout the Mediterranean world,and regardless of the location it was transported and traded everywhere throughout the empire and people of differing social class were able to afford it because of its production. The decline of pottery being made was only the start of the deteriorating empire.
As previously mentioned, food was traditionally considered as a mere means of subsistence, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. The early history of food involved its use to define shared identities and reflected religious and group customs. Furthermore, food was filled with psychological, cultural, religious, and emotional significance. During this period, a unique court tradition of cuisine and sophisticated table manners emerged to distinguish the social elite from the ordinary people. However, during the 19th century, the history of food slightly changed as it became a defining symbol of national identity. This period was characterized by the association of several dishes to particular countries and cultures (Mintz, par 1). For instance, American hamburger and tomato-based Italian spaghetti are cultural foods that were in...