Why were “spices” a big issue in the latter part of the medieval era?
Salt is not a spice… it is a mineral, and VERY available in Europe. NOW, on to spices. Spices such as cinnamon, pepper, cardamon, cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves are NOT native to Europe. They were among the most luxurious products available in Europe in the Middle Ages. A popular modern-day misconception is that medieval cooks used liberal amounts of spices, particularly black pepper, merely to disguise the taste of spoiled meat. However, a medieval feast was as much a culinary event as it was a display of the host’s vast resources and generosity, and as most nobles had a wide selection of fresh or preserved meats, fish or seafood to choose from, the use of ruinously expensive spices on cheap, rotting meat would have made little sense. SPICES were a sign of WEALTH. And of course, they make for wonderful tasting food. Cereals became the most important staples during the early Middle Ages. They were eaten as bread, porridge, gruel and pasta by virtually all members of society. Vegeta
