55 THE SPICE TRADE Spices were known to Eastern peoples thousands of years ago. Arab traders artfully withheld the true source of these spices, however, and they became valuable items of commerce early in the evolution of the spice trade. The most notable uses of spices in very early times were in medicine and in the making of holy oils. Belief in the healing power of spices filtered down, in a moderated form, into the Middle Ages and even into early modern times. It is not known when spices were first used in food. Certainly, the ancient Greeks and Romans used spices to flavour food and beverages because they discovered that spices helped to preserve foods, mask the flavour of partially spoiled meats, and also brought a change of flavour. Knowledge of the use of spices to preserve and flavour food slowly spread through Europe. Finally, in the last third of the 15th century, the Europeans decided to build ships and venture abroad in search of a route to the spice-producing countries.
