Note: This is not comprehensive but a work in progress. Please let me know any herbs, spices, collisions trade routes, fun facts, techques or region hubs I might have missed.
To use: Deselect some layers because it is a bit busy but try clicking on map items for the details at the bottom.

I really like the quirk and misconception section for some pop fun facts. Please drop me some feedback if you like!

Lorenzini — The Spice Collision Map v12

Lorenzini · A History of Flavor

The Spice Collision Map

Five thousand years of ingredient movement, technique origin, regional cuisine evolution of ingredient movement — trade routes, conquests, migration, myth, and misconception — mapped against climate and time. Every collision dot is a dish that only exists because two worlds met.

Era:

Layers:

scroll to zoom · drag to pan

drag
to pan

Spice Age — Oldest to Most Recently Global · Click to reveal supply & demand ← scroll →

Routes

Tropical seed · bark · root

Subtropical leaf · herb

Political · trade · conquest

Columbian Exchange — most disruptive

Migration · diaspora

Points

Collision event · size = forces (3–5+)

Ingredient or botanical origin

Quirk · misconception · mandate

Climate bands

Tropical belt (±23.5°)

Subtropical (23–40°)

Temperate (40–65°)

Technique + region pins

Technique origin

Regional cuisine hub

SELECT A SPICE CHIP TO SEE:

Supply / grow zone + terroir

Demand zone + cultural use

Spice age key

Ancient (pre-500 BCE)

Classical (500 BCE–500 CE)

Medieval (500–1400 CE)

Columbian (post-1493)