胡椒、肉桂、丁香、生姜均是著名的烹调用香料,又是常用的中药。生姜还是蔬菜。它们在东方饮食文化和烹饪技术中都扮演了重要的角色。烹调用香料和其他香料、黄金、珠宝、土特产构成丰饶的东方财富,经马可·波罗渲染激起西欧人的渴望,吸引他们远航而来,促成了世界历史的巨变。郑和下西洋时,中国也从南洋、西洋采买香料。本文论述这四种香料的起源、发展、传播、栽培的历史,并旁及它们的作用和意义。 Pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger are famous cooking spices, but also commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. Ginger or vegetable. They play an important role in Eastern food culture and cooking techniques. Cooking spices and other spices, gold, jewelry, native products constitute the rich eastern wealth, by Marco Polo rendered aroused the desire of Western Europe to attract them to voyage, contributed to the tremendous changes in the history of the world. When Zheng He moved west, China also bought spices from the Nanyang and Western Seas. This article discusses the history of the origins, development, dissemination and cultivation of these four spices, alongside their role and significance.