Spice cities, markets and growing areas
35 places where spices are grown, traded, ground and sold, with a trail idea for each.
South Asia
Port, India, 2 spicesBombayPort, India, 2 spicesCalicutPort, India, 2 spicesKochiA Kerala port on the Malabar coast that has shipped pepper, cardamom and ginger for centuries and still runs one of India's main spice auctions.Port, India, 2 spicesMuzirisPort, India, 1 spiceKannurA northern Malabar town and old port, linked to the pepper and cinnamon trade and to the cuisine of Malabar's Muslim community.Port, IndiaAlleppeyPort, Sri LankaGalleA fortified port on Sri Lanka's southern coast with a long history of spice shipping to Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British traders.Port, IndiaKozhikodeThe old Calicut of the Malabar coast, where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498 and where pepper was the chief trade.Port, IndiaMadras
Sub-Saharan Africa
Port, South AfricaCape Town and the Bo-KaapA port on the Cape of Good Hope, where Cape Malay cooking, with its sweet and fragrant curries, grew from the Dutch spice trade.Port, South AfricaDurbanSouth Africa's Indian Ocean port, with the Victoria Street Market and the largest Indian-descended community outside India.Port, KenyaMombasaKenya's main port, an Indian Ocean trading city with Swahili, Arab and Indian food rich in coconut, cardamom and chilli.Port, TanzaniaStone TownThe old harbour quarter of Zanzibar City, a UNESCO site of coral-stone houses, carved doors and spice shops.
Europe
Port, NetherlandsAmsterdamThe home of the Dutch East India Company, which dominated the nutmeg, mace and clove trade in the seventeenth century.Port, GermanyHamburg SpeicherstadtA port city with the Speicherstadt, a vast warehouse district where spices, coffee and carpets were stored, and a spice museum.Port, PortugalLisbonThe Portuguese capital, from where ships left to find the sea route to the spices of India, and which still cooks with piri piri, cinnamon and coriander.Port, United KingdomLondonThe home of the East India Company, whose docks and warehouses received pepper and spices, and where curry houses made Britain's national dish.Port, FranceMarseilleFrance's oldest port, with a Mediterranean food culture and the Noailles market, where North African and Armenian spice sellers work.Port, ItalyVeniceA lagoon republic that grew wealthy bringing spices from the Levant to Europe, and which still has a spice trade around the Rialto.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Port, Peru, 1 spiceCallaoPort, Colombia, 1 spiceCartagenaA walled Caribbean port in Colombia, once a hub of the Spanish treasure fleets and of a coastal cuisine of coconut, cumin and chile.Port, Colombia, 1 spiceTolúPort, BrazilBelemA port at the mouth of the Amazon, with the Ver-o-Peso market selling jambu, tucupi and spices of the forest.Port, JamaicaKingston and JamaicaThe Jamaican capital and the island of pimento, or allspice, and jerk seasoning with Scotch bonnet.Port, Trinidad and TobagoPort of SpainThe capital of Trinidad, where Indo-Trinidadian curry, roti and doubles have made spice a national taste.Port, BrazilSalvador da BahiaBrazil's first capital and the heart of Afro-Brazilian cooking, with dende oil, malagueta pepper and ginger in its markets.Port, GrenadaSt George'sThe harbour capital of Grenada, with a Saturday market selling nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric and spice baskets.