History of Spices: commerce, colonialism and culinary innovation

54 snips

Mar 20, 2026

Dr David Veevers, an early modern historian of the British Empire and East India Company, guides a romp through the global journey of spices. He traces ancient Asian origins and trade routes, empire-era transfers into Europe, and the violent colonial fights for monopoly. Short, surprising stories spotlight pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and chilli.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

East India Companies Built Modern Trade Capitalism

The joint-stock East India companies (Dutch and English) institutionalised long-distance spice commerce and risk-sharing, creating early corporate capitalism.
These companies pooled huge capital to fund perilous multi-year voyages on the age of sail.

INSIGHT

Dutch Monopoly Relied On Violence And Market Destruction

The Dutch used violent monopoly tactics, including massacres and market destruction, to control nutmeg, mace and cloves.
They even burned surplus spice in Amsterdam to prop up prices and maintain profits.

ANECDOTE

England Traded Spice Islands For New York

The English ceded control of the Banda nutmeg islands to the Dutch and received New York in exchange, reshaping colonial priorities.
James, Duke of York later became monarch, linking the swap to royal ambitions.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr David Veevers and comedian and quizzer Paul Sinha to learn all about the global history of spices and the spice trade. Nowadays, we take spices for granted, and our kitchen cabinets are full of ginger and cinnamon, cumin and coriander, pepper and nutmeg. But despite their contemporary status as a staple of diets around the world, the majority of spices are native only to Asia (barring notable exceptions like chilli peppers). In this episode, we tell the story of how spices went global, from the very earliest days of the spice trade within Asia, through the empires of Alexander the Great and Rome as spices made their way into Europe, and into the colonial period, as the Dutch and British East India Companies vied to monopolise this lucrative trade. Along the way, we focus on five of the most commonly traded spices – pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and chilli – asking how their use changed across time, and as they were traded from place to place. From pharaohs possibly being embalmed with cinnamon, to medieval kings demanding rent in peppercorns, and nutmeg as a cure for plague, we look at the varied uses to which people all over the world have put these precious and expensive commodities.

If you’re a fan of food fads of the past, histories of globalisation and cultural exchange, and surprising ancient beliefs, you’ll love our episode on the History of Spices. If you want to learn more about the history of commodities, listen to our episodes on the history of chocolate or coffee. And for more on global trade, check out our episode on the Columbian Exchange. You’re Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Emma Mitchell and Adam Simcox Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars