SSC MTS EXAM

Detailed explanation-1: -Spices such as cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, star anise, clove, and turmeric were known and used in antiquity and traded in the Eastern World. These spices found their way into the Near East before the beginning of the Christian era, with fantastic tales hiding their true sources.

Detailed explanation-2: -In the Middle Ages, Europeans lacked refrigeration and general hygiene, leading to food spoiling quickly. Spices were so important because they helped mask the flavor of not-so-fresh food.

Detailed explanation-3: -European traders eventually arrived in Indonesia in the late 16th and early 17th century, trading nutmegs, cloves and mace as their “trinity” of the most expensive and luxurious spices in Europe.