Rare Herbs, Spices, and Goods?

[jgbrowning]

Whoa!!

I better go to bed. Getting a bit slap happy....

night all.



joe b.

 

[Dragongirl]

HAHA! but i got the download on soap!
.

You sure did. Night Mr. B

 

[Azure Trance]

Night, thanks for the early morning session on medieval trading ;D

 

[Lawrence of Arabica]

One thing not yet mentioned is alum, which is used as a dye fixative (chemically binds the dye to cloth so it won't wash out).

 

[jgbrowning]

One thing not yet mentioned is alum, which is used as a dye fixative (chemically binds the dye to cloth so it won't wash out).

http://costume.dm.net/~drea/dyes/

i always love translation sites...

joe b.

 

[Conaill]

The only one I didn't recognize was Silphium. Apparently, this was an ancient fennel relative used as a contraceptive. Only able to grow in a small region around the city of Cyrene, modern day Libya. Apparently it was so effective and in demand that they made quite a monopoly out of it, and eventually drove the plant to extinction...

 

[alsih2o]

Chinaware - Same (though I'm not sure why it's so good; simply good porceloin?)

the lust for porcelain was one of the major pushes that moved men from alchemy to hard science.

it was quite rare, and chinese potters lied thru their teeth when westerners asked how it was made. the few known clay supplies in europe that were available for making it were closely gaurded after the secret was out, and many a man was imprisoned if the hinted that they new the recipe.

fascinating story there! there is a good book on this time and the quest for a europen porcelain called "the arcanum" that can be found rather cheaply.

 

[kenjib]

If your world is fantasy, you don't necessarily need to stick within the confines of a given historical period. So, if opium and tea spark your imagination, for example, then you can use things like that as well.

Perhaps other exotics as well: Rhinocerous horn, tiger testicle, (or stuff from more fantastic creatures) etc.