**1. Introduction**

Since the ancient era humans and plants had a complex relationship in which humans always depended on forests for many reasons like clean air, food, water, nutrition, energy, fuel, clothing, and shelter. They have the biggest role in the survival and growth of all living organisms that exist on the planet. Our forests have been playing an important role in the economic development and medicinal health of humans. The world's vegetation is rich in many special plants with those dried parts such as roots, stems, bark, leaves, bud, flowers, fruit, seeds, etc., known for their special aroma and pungent flavors, which are called spices. Over the centuries, these dried parts come to use in many culinary practices for enhancing taste and flavor as well as preservative and coloring agents. Special chemical constituents are responsible for the aromatic and pungent properties of plants which not only enhance the taste of

our food but also keep us away from many diseases. So, these parts have been used in many traditional healing systems for ages.

The history of spices is very long with their use in various ways during ancient times. Indian food is famous for its special taste, color, and aroma in the world which explains the diversity of spices and condiments in their land. Since the beginning of human history, all of India's spices have been strongly associated with its culture, traditions, preservation, and healing system. The maritime route called as spice route was developed in 3000 BCE before the silk route (land route), it was the biggest network that linked the east with the west. This route stretches from Japan's west coast through Indonesia's island, India to Middle Eastern lands to Europe through the Mediterranean. This spice route served as a bridge for religious and cultural contacts among many parts of the world. During ancient times spices were largely used for medicinal purposes than use in food preparation. At that time, India had become the center of the world's spice trade due to its top position in spice production. At present, India contributes 70% to the global production of spices and ranks first in the world among major spice-producing countries [1–3].
