Botanical identity
We use scientific names to distinguish plants with similar common names. Plant part, accepted botanical name and growing range are checked against botanical references such as Kew's Plants of the World Online and agricultural authorities such as Spices Board India. Cultivated range, native range and the earliest domestication of a crop are different questions.
Map and route choices
Markers show approximate regions, including Malabar, Sri Lanka, Maluku, Mexico and historic Persia in present-day Iran. The world outline is geographic, but the overlaid curves are interpretive summaries. Routes are not surveyed shipping tracks, and a single arrow cannot show every exchange, era or intermediary. We name historical places alongside present-day geography where useful.
Language and culture
Names are presented with a language label and, where helpful, transliteration. Spellings and pronunciations vary. We aim to identify a practice with its community and context instead of attributing it broadly to an entire region.
Science and health
Chemistry can explain color, aroma or heat. It does not, by itself, prove a health benefit. We distinguish traditional use, laboratory observations, human trials and culinary amounts from concentrated extracts. The site offers education rather than medical advice.
Corrections
If a name, location, attribution or source needs review, please send us a correction with a reliable reference. The atlas and profiles are revised as the evidence improves.