Sea route to the east

TN THE DAYS before deep freezers or refrigerators, there was little fresh food of any kind. During the Dark Ages, between 400 and 900 a. d., most Europeans had a very monotonous diet. There were no crisp salads or tropical fruits such as lemons, pineapples or bananas. There were no pota¬ toes, squash, pumpkin or Indian corn. At that time no one had heard of coffee or tea. Sour wine and ale were the main beverages. The diet of the poor was mainly coarse black bread and cheese, with once in a while a little meat.  The new condiments, called spices, gave a tangy flavor to food and concealed its bad taste if it was spoiled. It is no wonder they were praised and prized, that they were used to buy property and pay off debts