Shipping cinnamon, spice, and everything nice is a more complex process than meets the eye.
Be honest: how much thought have you given to the spices you cook with and the seasonings you sprinkle on your dinner?
If you’ve never really contemplated your cardamom, now’s your chance to take an aromatic journey back in time. The spice trade has evolved dramatically since its establishment 5,000 years ago, becoming one of the most complex supply chain networks of all time.
A Brief History
Spices have been traded since at least 3000 B.C., when Egypt first exchanged them with the Land of Punt. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Arab traders controlled the major trade routes, but as sea routes became more popular, European powers (notably Venice and the Italian maritime republics) came to dominate the trade. Though more convenient than land routes, the sea routes between Europe and Southeast Asia were still quite arduous, making spices an expensive delicacy for European consumers. Explorers soon ventured around the world in an effort to find more favorable routes.
The discovery of the New World brought modern-day America into the international spice trade. American merchants were soon selling their own spices and sending ships across the ocean to trade them. As ocean travel evolved, however, international trade became quicker and cheaper, and spices that were once as valuable as gold became common household commodities.
Common Spices and Where They Come From
Today, spices can be found at any grocery store, but the market continues to grow, with revenues expected to surpass $6.5 billion per year in the next decade. But where exactly do these common spices originate? Here’s a taste:
Black Pepper: The world’s most traded spice is native to south India and largely cultivated there. Vietnam is the largest exporter of pepper, producing 34% of the crop as of 2013.
Paprika: Although paprika is often associated with Hungarian cuisine, the plant originated in central Mexico before being brought to Spain in the 16th century.
Cinnamon: Native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, cinnamon is obtained from the inner bark of trees of the Cinnamomum genus.
Cumin: India produces 70% of the world’s cumin and consumes 90% of it. Other suppliers include Syria, Iran, and Turkey.
Nutmeg: Originally cultivated in Indonesia, nutmeg is also produced in India and various Caribbean countries, mainly Grenada.
Turmeric: Turmeric is most often used in Indian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Iranian, and Pakistani cuisine. In powder form, it is a deep yellowish-orange color that can aid digestion.
But How Does Your Coffee Get to You?
Risks of the Spice Trade
There are many middlemen in the spice trade’s supply chain. Spices grown in rural India or Pakistan move through farmers, longshoremen, customs officers, and shippers before arriving stateside. From there, companies like McCormick’s package and distribute the spices to stores across the country. During such a long and complex journey, there’s ample opportunity for tampering or contamination of the spices — making a highly visible supply chain essential.
Another threat to the spice trade is the climate — both environmental and political. Since different spices need to be grown in different climates, environmental disasters can cripple the trade; in 2011, for example, Thailand was hit with devastating floods that depleted many of its native crops. Political instability can also affect the market; in the same year, for instance, revolutions in Egypt erupted, meaning that spices grown there were not guaranteed to make it out of the country.
Despite these obstacles, the spice trade — much like the chocolate trade — continues to thrive, thanks to highly coordinated logistics along every step of the product’s journey from harvest to health food store.