Soutane Lesley #6

The Vestments Collection

Named for a long buttoned coat, this blending of exotica includes the following aromatics: Cumin, Sandalwood and Ginger.

The Greek physician Hippocrates made many mentions of CUMIN for its beneficial medical properties. But in medieval Europe this Indian spice was most popular as the condiment of choice above all others.

To the west along the Silk Route the traders’ caravans brought none so odd as the gnarled knotty tubers of the GINGER root. Thick twisted sticks that were benign until cut or broken apart when the sharp biting fumes would explode in the air. For the Medieval populace thin scrapings were much used to spice the bland diet of the day.

From his voyage of adventure in 1498 Vasco de Gama returned to Lisbon with news of the sea route to India. His ship was treasured with gold and silks, spices and trinkets from the far off continent. Also on board he had a small cargo of timbers that when sanded would exude an exotically eastern heady perfume.  This “sanders wood” as it would become known to the London merchants of the day gave way to the name SANDALWOOD for both the timber and luxuriant oil that is obtained from the tree.