People in South-East Asia may have been cooking curries for over 2000 years, as evidenced by traces of spices found on recently discovered stone tools in Vietnam. Hsiao-chun Hung and her colleagues from the Australian National University uncovered sandstone grinding tools along with remnants of spices at the Oc Eo archaeological site in southern Vietnam. An analysis of the starch grains recovered from the tools revealed the presence of eight types of spices, including turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This indicates that these ancient inhabitants likely used these spices, along with others, in the preparation of curry. The discovery provides valuable insights into the culinary practices and cultural connections of South-East Asian societies over thousands of years.
Spices were traded between South Asia and South-East Asia more than 3000 years ago
Peter Schickert/Westend61/Getty Images
Maritime trading routes between South-East Asia and South Asia were established over 3000 years ago, allowing the exchange of spices like nutmeg and clove from Indonesia and turmeric and cinnamon from South Asia. Stone grinding tools, which first appeared in South-East Asia 2000 to 3000 years ago, were likely introduced to the region by migrants or travelers from South Asia, along with other cultural elements. The spices found at the Oc Eo site were likely brought by traders or could have been grown locally from seeds brought by traders.
A sandstone grinding slab found at Oc Eo in Vietnam, on which traces of spices were identified
Khanh Trung Kien Nguyen
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