Spices and seasonings

Spices and seasonings were popular condiments and played an important role in ancient Greek food culture. Cassia is the first spice mentioned in Ancient Greek texts. Sappho (6th-7th century BCE) mentions it in her poem about Hector and Andromache's marriage. Sappho was an Archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos, Eresos, or Mytilene. Sappho is well-known for her lyric poetry, which was designed to be sung together with music she was widely considered one of the finest lyric poets in ancient times, and she was given titles such as "Tenth Muse" and "The Poetess." Cassia is one of several Cinnamomum species grown largely for its aromatic bark, which is used as a spice. The buds were also utilized by the ancient Romans as a spice, particularly in India. The tree can reach a height of 10-15 m (33-49 ft) and has greyish bark as well as stiff, elongated leaves that are 10-15 cm (3.9-5.9 in) long and scarlet when young.

The ancient Greeks used at least two types of pepper in cooking and medicine: one of Aristotle's students, Theophrastus, listed both black pepper and long pepper in his description of the plants that appeared in Greece as a result of Alexander's conquest of India and Asia Minor "one is round like bitter vetch...: the other is elongated and black and has seeds like those of a poppy: and this kind is much stronger than the other. Both, however, are heating...".