Kerala Hosts First International Spice Routes Conference

The first International Spice Routes Conference was held in Kerala, India, from January 6-8, 2026.

This event brought together people from many countries to talk about the history of spice trade, especially black pepper.

Black pepper is very important because it was a big part of trade for a long time.

It even helped shape the world as we know it today.

The conference was organized by the Muziris Heritage Project and focused on how the spice routes connected different parts of the world and influenced cultures.

Black pepper comes from the Malabar Coast in Kerala, and it was traded all over the world, even as far back as 2000 BCE.

The conference also talked about how the spice trade affected people's lives and even their names.

For example, some people in Germany and Portugal got surnames like Pfeffer and Pimenta because they were involved in the pepper trade.

The World Spice Organisation, which works on making the spice industry more sustainable, also had a part in the conference.

They talked about how to make sure spices are grown in a way that is good for the environment and safe for people to eat.