Why were they so valuable? Most spices have medicinal effects and help kill germs. Even if you don't use that to treat your own health, it de facto acts as a f

Why were they so valuable? Most spices have medicinal effects and help kill germs. Even if you don't use that to treat your own health, it de facto acts as a food preservative. Spices, salt and fermenting were a big deal before we had refrigeration, canning, etc. Famine used to be really common and recipe books often had recipes for combining whatever things were likely still in the cellar at the end of winter when everything was running out, like apples with cabbage. These were subsistence cultures. Making food stores spoil slower was literally a matter of life and death. (Edited for clarity.)