What spices were used during the Renaissance?

What spices were used during the Renaissance?

Renaissance sailors first took to the seas to supply England and Europe with the many Asian spices that were in demand. Peppercorns, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon all came from lands to the east. Also from the East came precious gems and fine silk, a fabric especially sought after for women’s clothing.

What were spices used for in the Middle Ages?

In the Middle Ages they used spices in four ways: in perfumes and cosmetics, as a fragrance for religious rituals, as medicine or as a preventive ointment against illnesses and other ailments, and of course as an ingredient in the kitchen. Spices were very expensive and considered luxurious.

What spices did the European explorers want?

Valuable spices used in food preparation across Europe included pepper, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, saffron, anise, zedoary, cumin, and cloves. Although most of these were reserved for the tables of the rich, even the poorer classes used pepper whenever they could get it.

Why were spices so important during the Renaissance?

Historically the Spice Trade dramatically altered the European countries during the Renaissance; theses new spice’s enabled the opportunity to have tasty food, better health and the ability to impress other people as well as a substitute for money. During the time, the spices were used in cuisine.

What spices were available in medieval Europe?

Spices used in medieval gastronomy

• cardamom.
• cinnamon and cinnamon flower.
• clove.
• cubeb.
• galangal.
• ginger.
• grains of Paradise.
• mastic.

What spices did Christopher Columbus find?

Columbus didn’t find what he was looking for, but he did encounter two new spices which forever changed cooking around the globe. He found chili and allspice — both of which he erroneously dubbed pimenta, or pepper, in his zeal to find peppercorns.

What was the most common spice during the Renaissance?

Out of the many spices, pepper was the most common spice. Yet, spices and herbs both were a gigantic part of the food tasting feasts during the Renaissance. Because of the big feasts that they traditionally had during the Middle ages, it was a habitually thing to have for a meal.

Why did people use spices in the Middle Ages?

Spices Were Used to Mask the Taste of Bad Meat in the Middle Ages Through the Renaissance. It has long been claimed that one of the chief use of spices in the Middle Ages or “Medieval Period” in Europe was to cover the taste of spoiled meat. This claim, without further examination, could make some sense.

What kind of Spices did the poor use?

There were, of course, many spices and herbs native to Europe, such as mustard, sage, basil, fennel, mint, rosemary, cumin, and thyme. The poor could gather these in the wild and as well, garlic, chives, and onions were used as food seasonings by the poor.

What kind of spices are used in modern food?

Ginger, mace, cloves, black pepper, and so many more of different varieties are spices that are used as commonly in the modern cuisine today all around the world. Because of trade that expanded and imported it year after year.