Spices

Herbs and spices from warm countries have long been the company of domestic kitchens. What is a goulash without paprika or an apple strudel without cinnamon? Tropical spices brought not only flavor to food but also movement in world history. The search for pepper and other traded goods led to conquest, oppression, colonial wars and the "discovery" of the Americas.

The fruits of the climbing vine Piper nigrum are sold as green, white or black pepper. Their spicy taste encourages the production of saliva and gastric juices. Already in the Middle Ages, traders brought expensive pepper from India to Europe.

The capsules of the orchid Vanilla planifolia fetch phenomenally high prices. Presently, vanilla is more expensive than silver. This is a result of the necessary hand pollination, poor harvests due to storms, theft in producing countries and speculation on the market. Research teams in the Netherlands have recently managed to grow the "Queen of Spices", as it is called in Madagascar, under glass. How will this possibly affect production in Madagascar?