New Delhi: Globally, thetrade in spices did not begin with the arrival of Vasco da Gama in India in 1498as is widely believed, according to a research just out.

"The Egyptians used spices and the Romans had organisedtrade routes for commerce of spices," says Portuguese newspaper 'Publico'in an article published and authored by Lucinda Canelas.

To back its claim it quotes Jack Turner, an Australianresearcher and author of "'Spice: The History of a Temptation"' whichis an attempt to reconstruct the history of spice trade from Egypt to thearrival of the Portuguese, the English and the Dutch in the East.

The only major difference that the Portuguese, the firstEuropean colonial power of that era that reached South Asia in the early 16th century, introduced was the change in theroute.

Turner contributed one of the 20 essays for a catalogue ofthe exhibition entitled 'Encompassing the Globe', inaugurated in Washington atthe Smithsonian Institute, seeking to present views of a new generation ofglobal historians.

Turner seeks to respond to a central issue and question: Whywere the spices so important for the Portuguese? They were used since thesecond millennium (before the current era) for cooking, as medicines and asaphrodisiacs.

Spices, he suggests, were much sought by the elite.

"The results were not always the most satisfying, andsome were even recipes for torture: imagine a mix of honey, pepper and wine forbetter sight, or applying pepper to genitals as sexual stimulant!"comments the 'Publico' article.

It notes that pepper was most in demand before and after thePortuguese discovery of the Cape of Good Hoperoute. In the first years of this route some 90 percent of the Portuguese cargoconsisted of pepper.

When there were shipwrecks with this cargo aboard, theywould result in black tidal waves.

Despite the Portuguese crown investments, it never made theexpected profits with this trade. Bad administration and excessive expenseswith transport and defence did not permit the Portuguese to neutralise itsrivals. The Portuguese crown tried in vain to fix the prices in Europe by trying to keep a monopoly over this trade.

But it never succeeded in doing this. There was corruptionand parallel black market, which benefited the country but not the crown.

"Despite the limited benefits, spices were greatlyresponsible for promoting a new vision of the world. It would not have beenpossible without Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who cannot be seen as adiscoverer, but as a merchant and investor," said the Portuguesenewspaper.

Turner has also concluded that the Portuguese"discoveries" in Asia had a majorcultural impact and were vital for the evolution of the modern world and forthe beginning of globalisation.

"Very differently from the traditional economic andpolitical readings of the impact of the pepper, cinnamon and ginger trade, theAustralian historian is more interested in analysing the impact upon the livesand imagination of people across centuries. The high point of the trade inspices was also the end point of their fascination," comments thenewspaper.