![]() Through Hippocratic medicinal theory, spices gained their introduction to the European table. The dietetic science of the medieval period believed the human stomach was like a pot, which needed to ‘cook’ the food in order to properly digest it and thus maintain humoral balance. This belief was based on the Hippocratic Theory, which speculates that balancing the Four Humors of the body will prevent the growth and spread of harmful diseases. The smelling and tasting of spices could supposedly stimulate the mind, arouse sensory observation, and heighten feelings of desire and hunger.Įuropeans also believed spices to have strong medicinal value, which balanced the body and improved overall health. It was believed that spice consumption benefited the human body in a variety of ways. Their fragrances had an unfamiliar sweetness, which Europeans subliminally associated with the divine aromas of frankincense and myrrh. In the medieval period, Europeans saw spices as an exotic link to Christianity. To Europeans, spices were, literally, otherworldly. These scents and flavors were unknown, shrouded in mystery – a gateway to another world. Cinnamon, star anise, and clove were aromatic stimulants, and the abrupt tastes of ginger and cardamom were obscurely robust. Upon their travels to the Arab world, European Christians were drawn to sweet spices. The Crusades brought about the grand intersection of Europe and Asia, as hundreds of years of vicious battles and religious quarrels marked a moment of multicultural interaction. ![]() It was not until the Crusade period, beginning at the dawn of the 11th century, that there was a resurgence in European spice consumption, which began with renewed exposure to the Arab world. When the Roman Empire collapsed, so too did the Western connection with Eastern spice trade. But the spices that the Romans consumed–black peppercorns, galangal, and laser root–were much more pungent and savory than those that later shaped the flavors of medieval desserts. Throughout the Roman period, the Silk Road was a hub for spice trading, as Persia mediated commerce between the East and West. The infiltration of sweet spices in medieval cookery was a paramount moment for gastronomy, as their implementation set the stage for a new epoch of culinary exploration. Starting in the Late Medieval period, which ran from the mid-thirteenth century through the early years of the Renaissance, the nucleus of the dessert course was spices. In fact, the Western construct of dessert was not centered around sugar at all. But for now, let’s look beyond the sweet, because sugar has not always been synonymous with the dessert course. The moment when sweet meets tongue is undefinable, as the world around you is completely lost.īut why is this the case? What ties dessert to the euphoric ambrosia that comes with the creamy filling of a pastry, the lusciousness of flan, or the toothsomeness of a cake? The first answer that comes to mind is obvious: the copious amounts of sugar. Dessert is decadent, emphatic, and gratifying. It is the exclamation point of an evening out on the town and the self-prescribed elixir for a broken heart. There is nothing in the gastronomic world that is more lustful than dessert.
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