pickA fascinating look at trading voyages via the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and how the Roman Empire was financed by the import duty on goods (mainly spices, incense, and silks) imported from Arabia, East Africa, and India via Egypt. It's amazing just how much we know.
Roman authorities were well informed about the revenues that sustained their Empire.
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
pickRead for background information for my writing.
pickA surprisingly accessible, well-written account (not at all dense) of medieval Europe‘s fascination with/demand for spices & the resulting consequences. From spices as aromatics & flavorings in food to their medicinal uses (spoiler, sugar used a lot!) from trade with Islamic Empire to European expansionism, from highly spiced food to the rise of French cuisine & the end of the popularity of spices in Europe, this book covers a lot. Fascinating.
Starting the day with some nonfiction reading about medieval Europe, spices, and the spice trade.
