Food for the wealthy Cooked dishes were heavily flavoured with valuable spices such as caraway, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and pepper. Other commonly used ingredients included cane sugar, almonds, and dried fruits such as dates, figs or raisins.
In the early part of the middle ages (before the Crusades), Asian spices in Europe were costly and mainly used by the wealthy. A pound of saffron cost the same as a horse; a pound of ginger, as much as a sheep; 2 pounds of mace as much as a cow.
It was reintroduced to Spain by the Arabs in the 10th century, and gained esteem in the cuisine of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Saffron is still highly sought after and the most expensive spice in the world.
1. Saffron. Saffron is derived from the stigmas of the crocus flower and is known for its intense, earthy flavor. It is also the most expensive spice in the world, with a pound of saffron costing thousands of dollars.
Spices were highly valued because, as well as being used in cooking, many had ritual, religious or medical uses. They were of high value because of their relative geographical scarcity.
Food for the wealthy
Cooked dishes were heavily flavoured with valuable spices such as caraway, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and pepper. Other commonly used ingredients included cane sugar, almonds, and dried fruits such as dates, figs or raisins.
Valuable spices used in food preparation across Europe included pepper, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, saffron, anise, zedoary, cumin, and cloves.
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Produced from the stigma of the autumn flowering purple crocus (Crocus sativus), it has at points in history been worth three times the price of gold. Like all rare and valuable commodities, saffron has a history rich with legend.
Today the world's three most expensive spices are Saffron, Vanilla and Mahlab. Originating from a flower called Crocus Sativus, the high price of saffron comes from the laborious harvest work of picking the stigmas delicately by hand to prevent damage and leaving them to dry.
Common seasonings in the highly spiced sweet-sour repertory typical of upper-class medieval food included verjuice, wine, and vinegar in combination with spices such as black pepper, saffron, and ginger. These, along with the widespread use of honey or sugar, gave many dishes a sweet-sour flavor.
Both Roman examples of nutmeg use are a little shaky, but it's agreed that nutmeg was used in the Middle Ages. During that time, nutmeg was a prized spice mostly used in medicine and as a preserving agent.
Cinnamon was considered so valuable during this time it was equal in worth to gold and ivory. It was regarded as a suitable gift for Monarchs and for Gods. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon as part of their embalming rituals.
Obviously the most expensive “things” possible would have been vast structures such as cathedrals, castles, palaces, etc. And then of materials of course rare jewels and metals (gold, silver, etc.) were valuable then as they are now.
Cinnamon is an ancient spice that predates the recorded history of culinary applications of all spices. As such, it has been dubbed the “world's oldest spice”, which may be a warranted title, knowing that because it was found to be included in Egyptian embalming recipes.
Black Pepper is considered the 'king of spices' and rightfully so. Unlike its perennial companion, salt, which is easily available in any nook and corner of the world, the black pepper owes its origins to Kerala – a state in South India.
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world because it requires a lot of work to grow. It comes from the stigma of the blue flowering crocus, Crocus sativus, and it must be handpicked. Approximately 200-500 stigmas make up a single gram of saffron, and usually there are only three per flower.
A Guide to Pepper: The World's Most Popular Spice.
Turmeric is a plant that has a very long history of medicinal use, dating back nearly 4000 years. In Southeast Asia, turmeric is used not only as a principal spice but also as a component in religious ceremonies.
In fact, black pepper was so coveted in the Ancient World that it was known by merchants as “black gold”. The global popularity of pepper followed the rise of the Roman Empire. The Romans brought pepper from the East to the western shores of continental Europe to use as an exotic, if expensive, spice.
Pepper, a very important spice grown in South India was known as black gold in the Roman Empire.
Merchants procured a wide range of spices for consumers, including pepper, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and saffron, as well as the now-obscure spices like grains of paradise and spikenard. Sugar was also used as a spice during the Middle Ages. Spices again became revered luxury items and status symbols across Europe.
The trade was changed by the Crusades and later the European Age of Discovery, during which the spice trade, particularly in black pepper, became an influential activity for European traders.
Black pepper first arrived in Europe from its native southeast Asia over 3,000 years ago and has been cultivated and traded between empires, countries and companies ever since. It's used in kitchens across the world, in a huge range of savoury and sweet dishes and is still the world's most traded spice.
Pepper and mustard were the two main spices used. Mustard was home grown, brought over by the Romans, but pepper came from overseas and was a very valuable commodity, often only given as gifts between monarchs and high churchmen.