system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Yup. They colonized the entire subcontinent of India and somehow it took them 400 more years to learn how spices work.
gpt
We used a lot of spices until WW2. Then rationing wiped everything. This is the ration per week per person. Bacon and ham 4oz

Butter 2oz

Cheese 2oz

Margarine 4oz

Cooking fat 4oz

Milk 3 pints

Sugar 8oz

Jam 1lb every two months

Tea 2oz

Eggs, 1 a week, if available powdered egg packet every four weeks

4 Oz of ham or bacon 

Fruit and veg were not rationed but we're very hard to get. It didn't end until the mid 1950's.