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Cooking spices date back to 50,000 BC where countries in the Middle East had developed a spice trade amongst each other. Main spices traded then were cinnamon and pepper. There were also many herbs used as spices that were traded through Egypt. Eventually, spice trade grew and encompassed all of the Middle East as well as Southeast Asian countries- India in particular. In fact, spice trade was one of the main reasons why Christopher Columbus set out in search of India. That is why today, Native Americans are referred to as Indians. India had and still have a huge economy based just on cooking spices. Indian spice store markets account for more than 10% of India's economy nationwide. Bombay actually has one of the largest spice trades in the world which is referred to many asBombay Bazaar. Most, if not all, Indian dishes have Indian cooking ingredients such as curry powder and more.
In India, spices are referred to as masala. Usually, masala is added to give food some spiciness and zest. Indian food, by many, is usually talked about as spicy and to Indians; food from western cultures is usually mentioned as bland and with no flavor. This spice craze of India has also been passed down to Pakistan, India's neighbor. Although there are some spices that Pakistani's use that may be different than Indian spices, overall they are mainly the same. Some of the more common brand names found in online Indian spice stores are Shaan, Mehran, etc. Though the amount of spices has grown to uncountable amounts, they still have the same origin. Today, you can find a spice specifically altered for every unique dish. As the population grows, spice trade will grow, and perhaps one day, Americans will start usingIndian spicesto spice up their food.
