Reading Exercise: Introducing cinnamon to Europe

Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the emerging European middle class began to desire the lifestyle of the elite, including their consumption of spices. This sparked an increased demand for cinnamon and other spices. During this period, Arab merchants transported cinnamon, closely guarding the spice's source from potential competitors. Transported from India where it was grown, cinnamon traveled via camel caravan along an overland route to the Mediterranean. The journey ended in Alexandria, where European traders sailed to procure their cinnamon, which was then transported to Venice. From this major trading hub, cinnamon spread to markets across Europe. Due to the limited supply transported overland and Venice's monopoly on the trade, Venetians could set cinnamon prices exceptionally high. These high prices, coupled with rising demand, motivated Europeans to seek new sea routes to Asia to participate in the spice trade.

At the end of the 15th century, Portuguese traders, attracted by the lucrative cinnamon market, arrived on the island of Ceylon in the Indian Ocean. Before European arrival, cinnamon cultivation on the island was organized by the local state. Members of the Salagama ethnic group harvested cinnamon by peeling bark from young shoots during the rainy season when the bark was pliable. During harvesting, they curled the bark into the familiar 'stick' shape associated with cinnamon today. The Salagama presented the finished product to the king as tribute. Upon Portuguese arrival, production needed to increase dramatically, leading to the enslavement of many indigenous Ceylonese who were forced into cinnamon harvesting. In 1518, the Portuguese constructed a fort on Ceylon to secure the island and establish a monopoly on the cinnamon trade, yielding substantial profits, such as a tenfold return on an eight-day journey from Ceylon to India in the late 16th century.

In the early 17th century, Dutch traders sought to supplant the Portuguese as leaders in the cinnamon trade upon their arrival in southern Asia. Forming an alliance with the inland kingdom of Kandy on Ceylon, the Dutch provided protection to the native king from Portuguese aggression in exchange for elephants and cinnamon. By 1640, the Dutch shattered the Portuguese 150-year monopoly by seizing and occupying their factories. By 1658, they permanently expelled the Portuguese from the island, assuming control over the profitable cinnamon trade.

To maintain their control over the market, the Dutch, like their Portuguese predecessors, treated the native inhabitants harshly. In order to increase production and meet Europe's growing demand for cinnamon, the Dutch began to change the harvesting practices of the Ceylonese. Over time, the supply of cinnamon trees on the island dwindled significantly due to the systematic stripping of bark. Eventually, the Dutch started cultivating their own cinnamon trees to supplement the diminishing wild tree population available for harvesting.

In 1796, the British arrived in Ceylon, displacing the Dutch from their monopoly on cinnamon. By the mid-19th century, cinnamon production had reached 1,000 tons annually, with lower quality spice becoming acceptable to European tastes. By then, cinnamon was also being cultivated in other parts of the Indian Ocean region, as well as in the West Indies, Brazil, and Guyana. The cinnamon monopoly became impractical, and overall spice trade profitability declined, giving way to the rise of coffee, tea, chocolate, and sugar trades.

Questions 1-9

Fill in the blanks below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.

The Early History of Cinnamon

Questions 10-13

Are the following statements in Reading Passage 1 consistent with the information provided?

In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE           if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE          if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN  if there is no information on this

10   The Portuguese had control over the cinnamon trade in Ceylon throughout the 16th century.

11   The Dutch took over the cinnamon trade from the Portuguese as soon as they arrived in Ceylon.

12   The trees planted by the Dutch produced larger quantities of cinnamon than the wild trees.

13   The spice trade maintained its economic importance during the 19th century.

Response: 

1. Oils (Đoạn 1, “It was known in biblical times, … an ingredient that was mixed with oils for anointing people’s bodies)

2. Friendship (Đoạn 1, “and also as a token indicating friendship among lovers and friends”)

3. Funerals (Đoạn 1, “In ancient Rome, mourners attending funerals burnt cinnamon to create a pleasant scent)

4. Wealth (Đoạn 1, “At a banquet, a host would offer guests a plate with various spices piled upon it as a sign of the wealth at his or her disposal.”

5. Indigestion (Đoạn 1, “Cinnamon was also reported to have health benefits, and was thought to cure various ailments, such as indigestion”)

6. India (Đoạn 2, “They took it from India, where it was grown,…”)

7. Camels (Đoạn 2, “…on camels via an overland route to the Mediterranean)

8. Alexandria (Đoạn 2, “Their journey ended when they reached Alexandria.”)

9. Venice (Đoạn 2, “European traders sailed there to purchase their supply of cinnamon, then brought it back to Venice.”)

10. TRUE (Đoạn 3, “In 1518, the Portuguese built a fort on Ceylon, which enabled them to protect the island, so helping them to develop a monopoly in the cinnamon trade and generate very high profits.” → Người Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ xây dựng thành luỹ ở Ceylon để quản lý cây quế)

11. FALSE (Đoạn 4, “When the Dutch arrived off the coast of southern Asia at the very beginning of the 17th century”, “By 1640, the Dutch broke the 150-year Portuguese monopoly when they overran and occupied their factories.” → Người Hà Lan đến vào đầu thế kỷ 17 nhưng phải 40 năm sau mới lật đổ sự độc quyền của Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ”)

12. NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin về số lượng của cây quế trồng hay quế trong tự nhiên)