Since antiquity, pepper has always been the most important spice in the world. It played a central role in the medicines of ancient India and China, became a critical component of Roman food, and remained central in the cuisine of medieval Europe. Dreams of its acquisition drove Vasco da Gama (c. 1469-1524) around the Cape of Africa to the Indian Ocean and Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original definition at https://www.worldhistory.org/Pepper/.
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- Why do you think pepper became so valuable in so many places?
- Do you think pepper was more of a food or a status symbol in medieval Europe?
- Why do you think people later lost interest in pepper and other spices?
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