Let's agree, we all have a special masala dabba in our kitchen. After all, spices not only amp up the taste of food and introduce more flavours to a particular dish, but they also serve our body with various health benefits. And, who understands this better than Indians? Well, spices, irrespective of the part of the world, hold importance in every cuisine. Well, it's difficult to imagine food without any spices. If you are equally interested and invested in these taste enhancers, here's something that might interest you. A “unique” cache of well-preserved spices from more than 500 years ago has been found, reported news agency Reuters. Archaeologists have uncovered it from the wreck of a ship, by King Hans of Denmark and Norway, that sank off Sweden's Baltic coast more than 500 years ago.
Well, we are happy to report that the species include everything right from strands of saffron to peppercorns and ginger. The ship named Gribshunden was off the coast in 1495. Back then, everyone believed that the ship had caught fire and sank, the report added. The wreck of the Gribshunden, owned by King Hans of Denmark and Norway, has lain off the coast off Ronneby since 1495.
Archaeological scientist Brendan Foley, from Lund University who led the research, said, “The Baltic is strange - it's low oxygen, low temperature, low salinity, so many organic things are well preserved in the Baltic where they wouldn't be well preserved elsewhere in the world ocean system.”
The report added that for the first time, archaeologists have found saffron.
People on Twitter have called it “exceptional.”
A user wrote, “That jam jar has also been preserved exceptionally well!”
Another comment read, “Probably Turmeric. I can't use that stuff fast enough. Always end up with a bulk package and it takes forever to use.”
“They had mason jars with shiny gold lids 500 yrs ago?!?!” read another comment.
What are your thoughts on this new discovery of spices? Tell us in the comments.