Tracing the Spice Route

As I mentioned in my first post, one of the biggest events that shaped India’s history is the spice route. Sitting strategically on the way from the Asian countries, near the Middle East and with a large coastline made India a hub of ancient and Middle Age trade. 

There were actually multiple spice and trade routes that operated throughout history. Each one had a different purpose and often a different level of danger, length of travel and terrains. There was the Silk Road, the Incense Route, the Cape Route, the Northern European Route and the Maritime Spice Route. These ancient routes were traversed by caravans, ships and hearty explorers and traders in search of desirable goods. How exciting it must have been to be a part of such a journey that could take months and sometimes years to make its long way to its destination and then back again!

But why were these spice routes so important? One reason that the ancient spice routes were so important was because of food preservation. Before the days of refrigeration and freezing, spices, salt and sugar were used to preserve foods for long periods of time and through the winter when food could be scarce. Europe especially needed these products as the colder climate of most of the European countries was not ideal for growing any of the popular spices. Also, spices were often used not just as food but as medicine.

What kind of spices were so important to the European countries? Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, turmeric and cloves were the most popular. But many other things made their way along the spice and trade routes such as precious metals, frankincense, myrrh, silk, precious stones, herbs, sugar, salt, leather, pearls and sandalwood.

The overland spice routes began to decline as the Age of Exploration began. Explorers and traders took to the water to see if they could find a faster route to the lands of spices. On the way, they discovered the New World and all that it had to offer.