Vasco da Gama (again), Venice and an Ayurveda Spice Garden

To return to Vasco da Gama (see the earlier blog), the reason he ended up being buried in the church of Saint Francis in Fort Kochin was because of Venice.

One of the side effects of the Crusades was that many Europeans, especially the upper classes, were exposed to the advantages of using spices to enliven their rather drab meals, especially in winter, when stored produce was becoming a bit rotten.  The Venetians played a leading role in the Crusades, but were very willing to deviate from the agreed plans in order to enhance their commercial interests.  As a result they were frequently at loggerheads with the Papacy.  For the Venetians, securing access to the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean at the expense of Western Christendom was the holy grail, since it gave them control of the spice trade.

Over many years the Venetians had a love/hate affair with the Arabs, but for the most part commercial interests prevailed.  The Arabs controlled the movement of spices from India across the Arabian Sea and into the Eastern Mediterranean ports, where their crusading activities essentially gave the Venetians exclusive distribution rights for Europe.   Inevitably, this centuries long relationship left its rewards and mark upon all aspects of Ventian life.

The Spice Vendor's Shop - Venice by Pietro Longhi

"I stood upon the Rialto; I beheld on each side of me, rising out of the waters, which they shadowed with their solemn image, those colossal and gorgeous structures raised from the spoils of the teeming Orient, with their pillars of rare marbles, and their costly portals of jasper, and porphyry, and agate." - Benjamin Disraeli.

Rialto Bridge - Canaletto

"Should I go to church
And see the holy edifice of stone,

And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks,

Which touching but my gentle vessel's side,
Would scatter all her spices on the stream."

- Shakespeare - Merchant of Venice.

Ottoman Map of Venice

The spice monopoly built the fortunes of the Venetian traders.  By establishing an alternative trade route to the spice riches of southern India, Vasco da Gama wrecked their monopoly and thus by undercutting their steady income flow, he was responsible for the slow decline of La Serenissima.

But just what were these spices that were more important than gold and that were the key to the wealth of the greatest maritime power in Europe for centuries?  We went to an Ayurvedic Spice Plantation (Deepa World) to see what all the fuss was about.

At the Ayurvedic Spice Garden

Spices at a Cookery Course in Kerala

In terms of volume the most important spice was black pepper.  We take pepper for granted, but it was considered critical to the preservation and use of meats pre-refrigeration.  The profits involved in the pepper trade have always been high, whether in Ventian times, or even today when black pepper is priced in India at about $3 per kilo or $0.08 per ounce and then is resold in US supermarkets at more than $1.00 per ounce.  The pepper grows as the fruit on a vine and Kerala produces 96% of the pepper grown in India (approximately 90,000 tons) - nothing to sneeze at!

Black Pepper

Probably the most exotic spice is cinnamon.  Apparently, in the fourteenth century, it was considered so valuable that Muslim traders would only accept "hard" currency in payment for cinnamon - hard currency meant eunuchs or young white women.  The Arabs went to great lengths to conceal their sources for cinnamon with a variety of stories, such as that cinnamon sticks were gathered from the nests of a rare bird in the mountains of Arabia.  The cinnamon tree is  a variety of the laurel tree and unlike the ordinary laurel that grows in every garden in France, it cannot stand frost and likes a hot humid climate.  The cinnamon stick that we are used to seeing is a strip of the inner bark of the tree.

Ciinamon tree with bark stripped.

In Kerala (Southern India) they also use the leaves regularly in cooking to impart flavour, in much the same way that laurel leaves are used in European cuisine and we found that this definitely gave a very pleasing taste.  Unfortunately we have been unable to find fresh leaves in Europe.

Cardamom seeds on shoots at base of plant

The spice that was most intriguing is cardamom - the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla.  It is referred to in Mycenaean Greek (16th-12th centuries B.C.) so has been in the spice trade for at least three or four millenia.  Since it does not grow west of India, this would appear to prove the existence and use of trading routes from India way back in time.  Not only does cardamom play a very important role in cooking in many countries, but it is also valued for a wide variety of health benefits.  Cardamom is principally grown in Kerala where significant increases in yield have been achieved.

Spices purchased at Deepa World!

We added marginally to the spice trade between India and Europe by bringing several spices from the spice plantation back with us.  From the top clockwise, the spices are saffron, cardamom, cinnamon powder, star anise, cinnamon sticks and turmeric - probably enough to keep us going for a while!