Spice Chains in Upland Vietnam

What does the ‘social life’ of spices tell us about interethnic relationships, economic development, global entanglements and the meanings and making of indigenous commodities? The ‘Spice Chains’ project traced three spices—star anise, cinnamon and cardamon—as they passed through numerous different hands and cultural domains on their journey from their origins as a forest product from upland northern Vietnam to a global food or pharmaceutical commodity.

The project was based on a collaboration with researchers from Switzerland, Vietnam and Canada. The Swiss part of the project was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and coordinated by Annuska Derks.