Video 16 in the Introduction to Ethnobotany series. Presented by Tamara Ticktin.
Fragrant plants have played important roles in food, medicine, the arts and religion for thousands of years. The spice trade, which dates back at least 3000 years, led to interactions among cultures from Southeast Asia, Africa, India and the Mediterranean. This episode examines historical uses and trade in aromatic plants and illustrates how globalization is not a recent phenomena. It also discusses how the demand for and trade in aromatic plants led to drastically different implications for different cultures.