The Science of Spice

70 World of Spice

London

GREAT

BRITAIN

FRANCE

SPAIN

PORTUGAL

European empires

Competition between the

nations of Europe to control

global trade, including in

spices, led to these countries

setting up colonies in Africa,

Asia, and the Americas. By

the end of the 19th century,

Europe controlled 85 per

cent of the world’s land.

ESPELETTE CHILLI

This mild chilli is used to

spice traditional French

Basque dishes.

World of Spice

EUROPE

Despite the diversity of European cuisine,

the continent has few native spices.

Almost everything used across the region

was introduced via the global spice trade,

the legacy of which is that European spice

palettes are broadly similar – though

interesting regional variations still occur.

SPICE REGIONS

Scandinavia p72

Great Britain p73

France p74

Spain and Portugal p75

Italy p76

Southeast Europe p77

To Asia and

the Americas

Lisbon

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