Curated playlist
Indian spices
- MangoMango is the national fruit of three countries simultaneously: India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. That single fact hints at something unusual. A fruit so deeply woven into the lives of hundreds of millions of people that multiple…
- CinnamonCinnamon was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC, yet for centuries no one in the Mediterranean world knew where it came from. The spice traders who controlled its supply kept the source a closely guarded secret, protecting their…
- Black pepperBlack pepper was found stuffed into the nostrils of Ramesses II, placed there during the mummification rituals that followed his death in 1213 BCE. How a dried fruit from the Malabar Coast of India reached the Nile remains largely unknown.…
- CardamomCardamom sits in third place on the world's spice price rankings, trailing only saffron and vanilla. It has held that position not because of rarity alone, but because of a long and restless journey across oceans, deserts, and centuries of…
- Chili pepperChili peppers have been shaping human diets since roughly 7,500 BC, making them one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas. Their story stretches from the highlands of Peru and Bolivia to space aboard the International Space…
- GingerGinger, the plant formally known as Zingiber officinale, has been present at some of history's most significant human crossings. Confucius ate it with every meal. Monks carried it on ships to ward off illness. And when a Danish-Norwegian…
- NutmegNutmeg sits in the back of spice racks across the world, shaken over eggnog and stirred into pumpkin pie, but few people who use it know that it once changed the map of the world. The seed of Myristica fragrans, a dark-leaved evergreen…
- CloveClove is a spice so ancient that ministers of a Han Dynasty emperor were required to hold one in their mouths before speaking to the ruler. The rule appears in a Chinese text dated to around 200 BC, and it tells you something about the…
- BasilBasil carries a name that means "royal plant" in Greek, and for thousands of years, people have treated it accordingly. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks believed basil would open the gates of heaven for a person passing on. In…
- Mustard seedMustard seeds are among the smallest objects ever used to teach the largest lessons. Roughly 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter, these tiny round seeds have traveled from ancient temple stories to modern condiment bottles. They grow into…