Chapter 4, Part 7 In the 16th century, upon the discovery of direct sea routes from Europe to the Spice Islands, Portugal and Spain asserted their dominance in the world’s spice trade which for centuries were traditionally controlled by the Javanese, Indian, Arab, Persian and […]
All posts tagged: spice
A Taste of the Archipelago
It is easy to find Japanese, Italian, French, Middle Eastern, and even Thai restaurants in Jakarta, the capital and economic powerhouse of Indonesia and also home to 10 million people. However sometimes I wonder why it is not the case for Indonesian restaurants elsewhere in […]
Istanbul’s Bazaars: Beyond Commodities
“Are you okay?” a young shopkeeper of an antique shop asks Alexander, probably taking the heed from the walking stick on his hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. Where are you from?” Alexander replies. “I was born in Afghanistan and raised in Pakistan” the boy answers nonchalantly. […]
What an Amazing World! 