ABSTRACT

If fire is the first greatest discovery of prehistoric men to take credit in turning their raw animal flesh and plant-based foods to their tasty counterparts, then the second thing to be credited for adding taste, aroma, colour and pungency in the same food are definitely the spices. The uses of spices spread abundantly when the Caveman cooked the meat and consciously applied them initially for seasoning and later for taste and aroma as well. Gradually, the drinks were also flavoured with aromatic spices along with cooked food although their curative power was still unknown and hidden. However, slowly men realized that spices not only add flavour and taste to our food but also enhance quality and medicinal values of food. The demand for this magical product was so powerful that it led to the voyages of discovery and colonial conquest during Middle Ages. These voyages were intended to find direct routes to the spices of India and the East. Spices, thus, have a profound influence on the course of human civilization.