The History of Spices
Ancient societies used spices to preserve and enhance the flavor of foods and to embalm their dead (Risch, 1997).
Medicinal use of spices was first noted in Egypt, 2800 BC (One Planet, 1999).
Columbus brought chili pepper seeds from the New World to Europe in 1493 (Conley, 1999).
Cultures are defined as much by their foods - and spices - as by their music, art, and dress (Sherman and Billing, 1999).