Acknowledgements

Writing The Nutmeg Trail coincided with the pandemic. Whilst I dived into spice routes history, the world’s trading routes saw a year like no other. 2020 almost brought them to a standstill, just as demand for spices soared with consumers stocking their cupboards for long spells of home cooking.

Today’s world moves quickly. Commodities can be freighted from the far side of the earth in a day; anyone can share recipes online with instant global reach; a virus can infiltrate every country within weeks. It struck me that our intricate web of travel and communication is an extension of the trails laid by early spice seekers. Created as a channel for goods, with them always travelled people with their ideas and their diseases. The network laid the foundations for globalisation, with all its benefits and perils.