Cinnamon Worth Its Weight in Gold: The Value of Spices in the Age of Exploration
Cinnamon Worth Its Weight in Gold (or Even More): The Age of Exploration and the Value of Spices in Today’s Currency I was cooking and a question popped into my head while preparing oregano with sweet paprika and chopped garlic: how much would that little jar of seasoning be worth in the days of the Age of Exploration? The truth is, the simple act of seasoning your food—something we do automatically today—was once a luxury and incredibly expensive task. But, after all, what was the value of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg during the Age of Exploration, and how much would they be worth today? The Age of Exploration and the Quest for Spices In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the world was undergoing a true maritime frenzy. Europeans, primarily Portugal and Spain, were seeking alternative routes to reach the highly coveted spices of the East, which included cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and many others. These products were extremely valuable because, in addition to enha
