#148: Planet Money: When Cinnamon Moved Markets

Economist editor,Tom Standade, says if you want to get a good picture of world history, you should look at spices.

In his book, An Edible History of Humanity, Standage writes about how tall tales of carnivorous birds and flying snakes let Arab middleman charge Europeans inflated prices for cinnamon and pepper for years. Standage says it wasn't until an Indian ship went adrift in the Red Sea that the Europeans realized there was an easier route to get all those spices they had been craving.