Herbs and spices

Abstract

The spice industry is the world’s second oldest, dating back before ancient Egyptian times. It was controlled for centuries by the Arab nations and the search for spices led to the explorations of Marco Polo, Vasco de Gama and Columbus. From the centuries of mystique and the relatively high value of spices in medieval times they have been subject to more deceit, adulteration and skullduggery than any other commodity. As recent as the late 1980s there were multi-million pound frauds in pepper trading. There is, in fact, no mystique with spices but care is required in selecting the correct products and correct supplier because of the nature of the industry.

Keywords

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