The Science of Spice

Southeast Asia 47

Spice wars

The West’s demand for

spices made this region and

its sea routes hot property.

Between the 16th and 18th

centuries there were many

skirmishes and conflicts as

the Portuguese, Spanish,

Dutch, and British vied for

domination of the area.

Source of spice

Known as the Spice Islands,

the Moluccas (now Malukus)

were for centuries the only

source of cloves, nutmeg,

and mace, making them a

magnet for traders and

invaders – first from China,

India, and the Middle East,

later from European nations.

ANNATTO

A New World native,

annatto is now grown in

the Philippines.

GALANGAL

Native to Java, galangal

is now cultivated all over

Southeast Asia.

LEMONGRASS

These aromatic stalks

play a key role in

Vietnamese cuisine.

LAOS

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

PHILIPPINES

INDONESIA

MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE

The British used

Singapore as their

centre for spice trading

and processing.

Hanoi

Phnom Penh

Macau

Ambon

Jakarta

The Dutch first landed in Jakarta in

1596, and it soon became the hub for

Dutch spice traders in the region.

Manila

Spanish galleons sailed

between Manila and Acapulco,

in modern-day Mexico, to trade

spices and other goods.

KEY

Historical spice trade routes

KEY

Historical spice trade routes

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