The king of these spices, and the much sought after ingredient was the ‘piper nigrum’ or more commonly known as the Black Pepper. If one is to study the voyage of Vasco da Gama and his passion for discovering the sea route to India, it all comes down to his one ambition – “For Christian and Spices.” The Portuguese, the Dutch, French and much later the English took on navigating the harsh seas in discovery of the land on the East in search of the priceless spices that weighed in gold, literally. By Leora Pezarkar, Senior Research Associate (Programs), Maritime History SocietyĪn understated facet of colonial history of the Indian Sub-continent is the role played by food in inviting the Europeans to this huge landmass.
