I use ‘The Spice House’ which is his Sister, who is NOT a mental case, LOL!
But, yes. PLENTY of places to buy decent spices.
Dan O’Donnel made the point this morning about Bill Penzey getting stinking wealthy DUE to Colonialism - which was pretty much started while they were trying to find ways to get good spices to The New World. Need some spices? Subjugate the natives! *SNORT* Who’s the ‘racist’ (if not worse!) now?
Of course, the irony is lost on this whackadoodle!
IIRC the New World was discovered as a result of the Europeans trying to find a direct route to the Indies.
Trade from the East was through Italy and the Italians were growing fat off the spice, silk and the trade of other commodities. At that time good spices were probably more valuable than gold, certainly more valuable than silver. If the western European nations could find their own route to the spices then the prices would fall.
Spain and Portugal especially wanted in on the action since they had spent fortunes finally driving the islamic Moors out of their land. As a result the Spanish Queen agreed to fund the Columbus expedition hoping any discoveries by him would make them wealthy again.
When Columbus finally made landfall he thought he had reached the Indies, one reason the locals were called Indians, but he had discovered an entire continent that was unknown to Europeans.
The treasures of that new continent weren’t spices and silk but gold, silver, gemstones, timber products, tobacco and other things.