Spice spices. Spices were among the most demanded and expensive products available in Europe in the Middle Ages, the most common being black pepper, cinnamon (and the cheaper alternative cassia), cumin, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Given medieval medicine's main theory of humorism, spices and herbs were indispensable to balance "humors" in food, a daily basis for good health at a time of recurrent pandemics. In addition to being desired by those using medieval medicine, the European elite also craved spices in the Middle Ages. An example of the European aristocracy's demand for spice comes from the King of Aragon, who invested
Cassia (genus) genus "Cassia". Genera "Cassia" and "Senna" are both known in systems of traditional medicine. "Cassia fistula", for example, is used in Ayurvedic medicine. There exists some culinary use for cassias. The fruit of some species is edible. Some have toxins in their seeds, however. There are hundreds of "Cassia" species, but it is unclear just how many. One estimate stands at 692. The genus was a wastebasket taxon for a long time, used to classify plants that did not fit well anywhere else. Over 1000 species have belonged to "Cassia" over the years. Many taxa have since been transferred to