Although the earliest evidence of humans using spices goes back over 50,000 years, it is not known whether they were used for their flavour, or simply as food. The first record of spices dates back about 5,000 years ago to the Assyrians, who believed the gods drank sesame wine the night before they created the earth. As India is believed to be the origin of sesame, the spice trade must have been well developed by this time.

About 4,500 years ago, the workers who built the pyramids consumed onions and garlic to keep up their strength. The Egyptians also used cumin, anise, marjoram, nutmeg and cinnamon to clean out abdominal cavities in the process of mummification. Other societies at that time used herbs and spices as medicines, incense and perfume.

The use of wine also dates back to these times. The Iranians were producing wine about 8000 years ago. The Phoenicians were already exporting their wine 5,000 years ago. With wine and spices being widely traded, it appears the modern appreciation for and value of quality flavours began to develop during the same period. However, from that point forward, our appreciation and focus on the impacts of terroir on spices versus wine has diverged.

The terroir of wine is well understood. Vineyards are found throughout the world, with numerous varieties growing in all but the harshest climates. A considerable amount of innovation and skill has been employed to develop high quality and differentiated grapes based on factors such as soil, irrigation, vine age, sun exposure, altitude and harvesting methods.

Despite the high value of at least some spices, we have not seen an equivalent proliferation of new growing regions, or accepted hierarchies of the best soils, terrain and climate. When we purchase most spices, we are not even aware of their country of origin, let alone the particular qualities of their plantation or blend.

As the world's most popular spice, Piper nigrum, or pepper may be a bit of an anomaly. Pepper is native to parts of India and Cambodia, but is now also grown in the East and West Indies and in other tropical Asian countries. Within these growing regions, the highest quality pepper is acknowledged be cultivated in two specific locations: Thalassery, also known as Tellicherry, on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India; and Kampot province in southern Cambodia.

Kampot pepper, for example, has a unique flavour and smell, distinguishing it from other types of peppercorn. It has a strong, yet delicate, aroma, ranging from intensely spicy to mildly sweet. It has hints of eucalyptus that linger on the palate. Its unique flavor is due to the combination of Kampot's rich soil, and the micro-climate between the mountains and the sea.

Despite the acknowledged qualities of these regions, one would be hard pressed to find commercially available pepper from a single plantation in Kerala or Kampot. This can be expected to change.

In terms of world trade value, the most important spice crops from the tropical regions are pepper, capsicums, nutmeg/mace, cardamom, allspice, vanilla, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cassia and turmeric. The most important spice crops from non-tropical environments include coriander, cumin, mustard, and sesame seeds.

As with the cultivation of grapes, spice-producing plants have ideal requirements for latitude, altitude, temperature and rainfall. However, the range of climatic zones in which spices can be grown is more limited. For example, Cardamon is optimally grown at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,200 metres in temperatures between 22-24°celcius. It requires well distributed annual rainfall between 2,500-4,000 millimetres. It grows naturally in shade but will produce good yields in partial shade if well watered.

Pepper vines prefer a temperature range between 25°C - 40°C. It is best grown in well drained clay-loam, humus-rich soil, and requires a well-distributed rainfall in the range of 1,250 mm-2,000 mm.

Mexican and Tahitian vanilla vines grow best in warm humid climates with temperatures ranging between 24°C - 30°C and a well-distributed annual rainfall of 1,900 – 2,300 mm with no prolonged dry period.

Cinnamon is the hardiest among the tree spices, tolerating a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. The optimum growing conditions require an average temperature of between 27-30°C and 2,000-2,500 mm of rainfall. Well drained soil is important, as wet soil creates a bitter bark.

The limited climatic conditions within which spices can be grown may at least partly explain why the subtleties of terroir of spices are not generally recognized to the same degree as is the case with grapes. However, there a number of other, more important reasons why spices have not yet achieved the same distinctions in quality as other products.

As is the case with wheat on the Canadian Prairies, the spice products of individual plantations and farms are generally blended together at central gathering points. In this way, the truly magnificent quality of products from one grower end up as part of a generic concoction. While consumers may recognize and even appreciate these products for their consistent quality, they are unable to enjoy the pleasures of variety, or the ability to exercise their preferences for specific producers or certain micro-regions.

If producers are unable to distinguish their product from that of their competitors, then their efforts, skills and expenses cannot be rewarded by higher profits or even recognition. Other than taking pride in their work, there is little incentive to produce anything better than the overall generic quality of the final blended product.

Notwithstanding the limitations on growing conditions, there should be enough variation between individual plantations and harvesting methods to give prominence to the more unique range of flavours that can be found in each spice.

We know that average quality grapes blended together can produce a reasonable quality wine. Nevertheless, many growers and winemakers throughout the world also seek to distinguish the quality of their wines by using single domain or careful blends of one or more grape varieties.

The same attention to differentiating quality is increasingly taking place in the production of chocolate. While the majority of chocolate produced is still of the generic variety (blended forastero), no longer do we see the rare, delicate and expensive criollo beans blended with the more common forasteros. The starkly different qualities of different cacao varieties, their region, plantation and production methods are evident in the range of single origin chocolates now available.

The spice trade may be as old as trade itself. This may be another explanation of why bulk blends continue to be shipped globally on the ancient and modern spice routes. As consumers are introduced to the subtle qualities that differentiate individual spices grown and produced under different, but ideal conditions, we should expect demand for these spices to increase.

Provided any systemic barriers of governments, wholesalers and shippers can be overcome, growers, workers and traders should benefit from the increased economic value of high quality spices. Consumers may be able to enjoy a far greater variety and quality of spice products in the not-too-distant future.