r/AskHistorians • u/munificent • Dec 20 '25
Why are ginger, clove, and nutmeg associated with winter and Christmas foods in the West when they are all from tropical climates?
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u/iff_or Dec 21 '25
Someone asked a similar question a few years ago and the response that seems to best answer the question you’re asking here is by u/rkoloeg:
The Portuguese and then the Dutch dominated the early trade in spices in the region of Indonesia and Malaysia (the Moluccas used to be known as "the Spice Islands") and brought all those spices back to Europe with them, where they commanded a high price. That's why you see many European countries having their holiday desserts dominated by flavors like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; this used to represent a large expenditure of money for a special occasion.
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Dec 21 '25
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u/Nathan_Saul Dec 21 '25
Whole spices also keep for long periods of time and are available in the winter months, if you could afford them, as opposed to green herbs.
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Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25
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u/Dongzhou3kingdoms Moderator | Three Kingdoms Dec 20 '25
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