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 sieberiana of time. September through February is when the fruit reaches maturity. The tree is named "sindia "in the Wolof language, and "sinjan "in Bambara language, which literally means "long breast," a reference to the shape of the seed pods. "Cassia sieberiana" is found in multiple parts of Africa including the southern part of the Sahel, Senegal, Sudan, and Uganda. It is also found in East Africa. "Cassia sieberiana" grows best in well drained, humid soils with an annual rainfall of approximately 20 inches. It typically grows as a shrub in very dry regions. These shrubs grow in groups of other