Ancient Mediterranean Spices

Mediterranean culture encompasses people living in countries located in southern Europe and northern Africa such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Egypt. Mediterranean spices have provided uses from cooking to medicinal. This fertile region not only produced some of the most influential ancient civilizations but also serves as the origin to several of today's most commonly used spices. Add this to my Recipe Box.

History

Spices were prized commodities during ancient trade. They were used as far back as 3500 BC in Egypt to flavor food. They were also used in cosmetics and embalming. Some of these spices were held in great regard and were believed to have spiritual and mystical powers. The use of spices spread from Egypt eastward toward the rest of the Mediterranean. The Ebers Papyrus from Egypt, dating back to 1550 BC, lists a wide array of herbs and spices that were used as cures for ailments.

Culinary Uses

Since the 13th century BC, Bronze Age tablets from Greek sites in Crete have explained the usage of spices in food preparation and diet. The spice trade boomed when demand for spices for both cooking and medicine grew in the 3rd century BC. During the 1st century BC, the earliest known cook book, Apicius (named after a gourmet of the time, Marcus Gavius Apicius), not only listed spices used but went into great detail about the tastes these spices would render when added to a recipe. The ancient Romans used spices to flavor many different foods and drinks such as wines, sauces, breads, marinades and soups.

Medicinal Uses

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, wrote about the medical properties of spices during his lifetime (460 to 377 BC). An ancient Greek philosopher dubbed "The Father of Botany," Theophrastus, wrote two books detailing over 600 spices and herbs and their many uses. The ancient Mediterraneans used several spices to cure ailments in the past. Garlic was a multi-cure spice that relieved flatulence and hemorrhoids, helped with digestion, served as a laxative and improved general vitality. Sesame soothed asthma while poppy seeds could be used as an anesthetic, helped with insomnia and relieved headaches. Cinnamon and cloves were known for their antibacterial properties.

Other Uses

Ancient Egyptians used spices like cinnamon, cumin and anise for embalming practices. Bodies were rubbed with spices and oils as part of the preparation process. Incorporating spices into perfumes and cosmetics was a common practice for ancient Romans. Women of the ancient Mediterranean used spice scented facial creams to remove wrinkles. In ancient Rome and Greece, certain spice concoctions (such as some that included cinnamon) were believed to be an aphrodisiac.