Pepper has long been the king of spices and for almost 2,000 years dominated world trade. Originating in India, it was known in Greece by the 4th century BCE and was an integral part of the Roman diet by 30 BCE. It remained a force in Europe until 1750 CE. Pepper's pathway to Europe was a long and tortuous one, which depended heavily on who controlled the Middle East.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1826/middle-eastern-power-shifts--the-trade-of-pepper-f/.