# Portugal: Spices, Empire, and the Pepper That Built Lisbon

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-history-of-fresh-produce-6999611/portugal-spices-empire-and-the-pepper-that-built-lisbon.md
Podcast: [The History of Fresh Produce](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-history-of-fresh-produce-6999611)
Published: 2026-06-16T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://hfp.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5131a840-0274-4d7e-b0cc-06ce2bf343ce.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1263

## Resource

Why did the Visigoths demand three thousand pounds of black pepper as the ransom for Rome — and what does that tell us about a climbing vine in Kerala that reshaped the entire history of the western world? How did a country of one million people on the edge of Europe come to control half the pepper reaching the continent, and build the Jerónimos Monastery to celebrate a voyage driven by spice? And what happens to an empire built entirely on a markup when someone finally figures out how to remove the middleman? Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Portugal and pepper — Vasco da Gama's ninety-three days at sea, the dismantling of the Venetian spice monopoly, and the Torre de Belém, still standing on the Lisbon waterfront, paid for by a vine in India... ---------- In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business ----------- Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community. Support us! Share this episode with your friends Give a 5-star rating Write a review ----------- Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more. ----------- Instagram, TikTok, Threads: @historyoffreshproduce Email: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com

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