The Science of Spice

The Americas 63

Cusco

La Paz

Lima

Santiago

Panama

Acapulco

In the 17th century,

spices that arrived here

from Asia were sent

overland to Vera Cruz,

and then by sea to Spain.

To Europe

San Francisco

Manaus

Rio de Janeiro

In 1502, the first

Europeans to see Rio

were members of

a Portuguese spice-

hunting mission.

USA

The USA is the world’s largest

importer of spices, with vanilla

and pepper being the most popular.

Jamaica

Explorer Christopher Columbus, who was

searching for the source of black pepper, instead

discovered allspice on Jamaica in the 1490s.

Veracruz

Havana

USA

CARIBBEAN

BRAZIL

MEXICO

PERU

CHILE

A new world

Between the 15th and the

18 th centuries the search

for spices led European

explorers on a series of

voyages in uncharted seas.

Their discovery of the

Americas – the New World,

as they called it – radically

redrew the world map.

CACAO

Ecuador produces high-

quality cacao, used to

make premium chocolate.

CUMARI CHILLIES

These pea-sized peppers

grow wild in the Amazon

rainforest.

ALLSPICE

Allspice is the only spice

exclusively grown in the

western hemisphere.

MOLLE

This spice is used to

make chicha, a traditional

spiced beer.

GARLIC

Chile is one of the

Americas’ main

producers of garlic.

MULATO CHILLI

Brown-black mulato

chillies are grown

extensively in Mexico.

PAPRIKA

Fresh, dried, or smoked,

this spice is a favourite in

North America.

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