III.

Modern Production

Today nearly all spices and herbs can be purchased easily, not only because of advances in commerce and shipping but also because many of the once-rare spices of the Orient have been naturalized in other parts of the world. The treasured cloves of Tidore, for example, with which the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet returned to Spain, are now cultivated in groves on the islands of Zanzibar and Madagascar. Ginger, once found only in China, is now grown in Jamaica and Nigeria. Nutmeg, native to the Moluccas, now grows in Grenada. Even chilli peppers (see Capsicum), one of the important spices discovered in the New World, are now cultivated worldwide.

Herbs such as oregano (see Marjoram) and thyme are now shipped in bales to London and New York, the two largest spice centres, for processing and distribution. Among the few spices that are not readily available are saffron, the most expensive spice, and vanilla—both of which require considerable labour to produce. Saffron, used to colour and flavour Mediterranean and Oriental dishes, comes from the hand-extracted stigmas of saffron crocuses grown in Spain, Italy, and the Middle East. Vanilla comes from the fruits of an orchid, the flowers of which must be hand-pollinated and the pods specially cured before they produce their characteristic aroma. A much less costly vanilla is now synthesized by the hydrolysis of wood.