Spice, The History of a Temptation
By Jack Turner
Alfred A. Knopf 2004
By Erin White
Jack Turner stated, “And so it remained until the sixteenth century, when at last the discoverers chipped away at the great edifices of medieval ignorance and fantasy, dragging the realms of spice and gold into the prosaic light of day, into the unromantic focus of the profiteer and venture capitalist,” to describe the rise and fall of a temptation of common household spices.
The desire and lust for great luxuries, known only to royalty and noblemen of many nations, shaped a business deemed somewhat less than glamorous in today’s society. Jack Turner depicts the dangerous and sexy side of the emergence of spices in the middle ages in his book, “Spice, The History of a Temptation.” Turner traces the obsession of spices as it altered historical trade, social status, the body, and the spirit of many nations.
Turner’s writing style and substantive facts, through extensive research, keep the reader enthralled in his story. The layout of the book also makes it easy to follow. Tuner’s eloquent quotes and somewhat gruesome reality of the history provide for an intriguing voyage through the middle ages.
Turner’s journey starts aboard Christopher Columbus’s ships, set sail to obtain elusive valuables. Gold, pearls, stones, and spices commenced arguably one of the most notable voyages known to man. The journey continues on to unveil the surfacing of a commercial enterprise, the spice trade. Turner depicts the journey in all its glory and danger. Tales of torture, ship wreckage, and the perils of spice trading embody the voyages of Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and many more world travelers.
“The only virtues were gluttony, leisure, and pleasure the only vices exertion and care,” describes the Medieval European fantasy of Cockayne, the food lovers Paradise. Cockayne was a fictional town, with streets paved with ginger and nutmeg and houses of gingerbread nailed with cloves. Turner elaborates on the medieval fixation of spices, such as the town of Cockayne, and the relationship between spices and social status. Pepper was viewed as the most important spice during the Middle Ages, available only to kings and obligatory of nobility, due to the fact that pepper was rare and hard to acquire.
Turner ventures from social status to the many uses of spices as they relate to the body. He exposes the medical, scientific, and sexual rationale. Prior to using spices to flavor food, the first known consumer of pepper was Rameses II, an Egyptian pharaoh. Upon his death peppercorns were inserted into his nose, as spices were often used “to preserve the holy body for all eternity.” The use of spice to preserve the dead led to the inspiration of using spices to preserve the living. Spices were used to cure the flu, chicken pox, and infertility.
“Electuaries”, as well as many others, were considered the spices of love. Spices were used as aphrodisiacs, as well as fragrances to attract men. “Spice, The History of a Temptation” shows the obsession of spice in its purest form of lust and desire.
Finally, Turner concludes his story with spices and the indulgence of the spirit and religion. “Outside the great festivals, the aromas of spices, incense, and perfumes permeated ancient religion as thoroughly as religion permeated life itself.” Spices were burned as sacrificial gifts to gods, and used extensively during worship ceremonies.
Turner’s presentation of historical changes touches on nearly every aspect of the human life, making it easy for readers to relate to his story. His ideas bestow upon readers all the glorious and perilous events that made spices what they are today.
Turner brilliantly depicts the transformation of nations and their views of trade, commerce, taste, social status, sex, medicine, and religion in a thrilling journey through the Middle Ages, and the impact of a simple temptation, a temptation for spice.
