Europe

Europe is not exactly a spice continent, in the sense that many spices grow or are cultivated there. However, Europe has held a key position in global trade for centuries. The colonial powers—the Netherlands and Great Britain, Spain and Portugal—amassed great wealth through the trade in spices from distant, tropical regions. Italy also benefited from this, with Venice at the heart of the spice trade in the 15th century.

Spain, Italy, France, and Hungary are four European countries with a rich tradition of growing chili.peppers, the flavor enhancer of the New World. There is a trend underway to cultivate other exotic spices in Europe; vanilla is a recent example of this. Is that a good development or not?

In Poland, a tradition is being turned into a business model using the wild harvest of juniper. It is a win-win situation: preserving traditions, preserving and maintaining juniper, and a flavorful, honest product. A discovery!