Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast Plants of the Gods: S7E6. The Ethnobotany of the Spice Trade: How it Built the Modern World
Aug 13, 2025
The spice trade revolutionized global culture, shaping economies and culinary practices. It enabled rich trade connections, while influencing medicine and religious rituals. Listeners learn about the distinction between herbs and spices, and how these plants were pivotal in ancient civilizations. The impact of the spice trade stretches from the Roman Empire to the Age of Exploration, intertwining with themes of cultural exchange and economic power, all while revealing the hidden costs of colonialism and environmental change.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Spice Trade Sparked Modern Capitalism
- The spice trade catalyzed global exploration, new financial instruments, and early corporations that shaped modern capitalism.
- It drove Europe's merchant classes to innovate credit and corporate systems to support long-distance tropical trade.
Herbs Versus Spices Defined
- Spices come from non-leafy plant parts like roots, bark, fruits, and flowers and are mainly tropical in origin.
- Herbs are leafy and mostly temperate, showing distinct botanical and geographic differences.
Luxury Becomes Necessity
- Richard Schultes observed that luxuries become perceived necessities once consumers adapt to them.
- Spices illustrate this: once added to food, people increasingly crave them despite minimal nutritional value.
