S1E30 - The Spice Race: How Nutmeg Started an Empire and a Genocide

What if the key to an empire’s wealth wasn't in a mine or a treasury, but in your kitchen spice rack? The unassuming nutmeg was once so valuable it redrew the map of the world and unleashed a wave of unspeakable violence, all for the taste of a seed. This episode travels to the remote Banda Islands, the only place on Earth where nutmeg grew in the 16th century. We explore how this fragrant spice became a coveted status symbol and a supposed plague cure in Europe, sparking a brutal race for control among colonial powers. The pursuit of nu...