Imagine retracing the path of pepper across the earth.

Though pepper now huddles unpretentiously on the table, it has seen the world. It has felt the monsoons of India and the dusts of Egypt. It has shaken empires and to retrace it’s path through history would be a true adventure.

1) Goa, India

This trip could start on the south western coast of India, in black pepper’s native land. Here your bare feet could feel the cool sand in the blue light of dawn. You could wander the spice markets and smell the tangy symphony of every spice at once. You could see the monuments built by the many who conquered parts of this coast to control black pepper. Then you could fall asleep swinging inside a hammock in the sticky red afternoon, listening to the Arabian sea.

2) Alexandria, Egypt

The next stop should be Egypt. From here the roman empire’s fleet of 120 ships would annually depart for the coast of India to retrieve black pepper. In Alexandria you could hear the call to prayer echo through narrow streets. Your teeth could crunch through the warm outer layer of round Falafel balls. You could see the overwhelming scale of things ancient.

3) Venice, Italy

Next to the city of water and light. Through the ports of this city pepper would flow to the rest of Europe and wealth would flow back. Here you could stroll the massive farmers markets of a city without farms. You could float past parties in the moonlight and hear harmonic voices sing at sunset. You could feel a cacophony of church bells wash over the city.

Creative Commons picture by i_yudai.

4) Lisbon, Portugal

Finally this journey would go to Lisbon. Here you could stroll past the golden limestone facade of Jeronimos Monastery, built to honor Vasco de Gama’s courageous new route to India’s spices. You could stand under the vaulted ceilings of the powerful Belem Tower and peak past the canons to the blue Atlantic. In the calm of mid-afternoon you could relax under the gently fluttering greens and reds of a bougainvillea. Here you could discover the restrained zing of black pepper, waiting for you.

You would never have guessed.

If you were some ancient explorer who happened across peppercorn, you would never guess that it could have such a profound impact on the world. Who would? Standing in the jungle next to your newly discovered plant it would be crazy to think that this small spice, with no noticeable pharmaceutical properties, could drive whole empires to war. But, it did.

Among the forces that have shaped the world, the desire for a certain type of pain is surely a strange one. Yet, the desire for the tang of peppercorn caused the Romans to send a fleet of 120 ships to the Malbar Coast of India…annually. Ramesses II was buried with some of it. Wars were fought, countries were conquered.

It was like the oil of ancient times. Something of such value that by producing it you ran the risk of having your country conquered to control it. the Indian town of Goa was once conquered by the Portuguese for the pepper trade. However, unlike many of the extreme sources of oil, Goa has palm trees, warm beaches, and magnificent ocean sunsets.

Today this has created one of the best vacation spots in the world. Not only is Goa a tropical paradise with sparkling beaches, it also has magnificent cuisine. Cuisine that combines Portuguese cooking, incredible access to a huge variety of spices, and a very long tradition of seafaring. Goa’s vindaloos, fish curries, and perfectly spiced potatoes alone are almost worth the trip.

Creative Commons picture by jmsuarez.