During colonization, we observed that the incursion into the interior of our territory opened a path not only for the knowledge of new spaces, but also for the existence of various plants, fruits and roots that made up our vegetation. In this process, the contact with the indigenous populations was also of paramount importance for the colonizers to get to know the curative and culinary potential of the so-called “drugs of the sertão”.
Before our colonization took place, from 1530 onwards, all of Europe had a great interest in the spices sold in the Indies. The herbs, fruits, roots, and seeds of the eastern world served for the preparation of medicines, the manufacture of manufactures, and the flavoring of food. In the 15th century, the advent of the great navigations - led by the Iberian nations - aimed at conquest of a route linking Europe to Indian traders, such was the interest in these products.
Involved in such a project, the Portuguese ended up conquering an arrival route to the Orient through the circumnavigation of Africa. This route, despite fulfilling its objective, ended up not being economically viable due to the great time spent on the trip and competition from other peoples who already traded with the Indians. Thus, the possibility of selling and consuming spices in Portugal ended up not being realized.
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In the 16th and 17th centuries, the exploration of the Amazon region ended up emerging as a solution to the economic role previously played by Indian spices. After all, this space in the colonial territory turned out to be rich in fruits, seeds, roots and other plants that had medicinal and culinary purposes. Cocoa, cloves, guarana, annatto, poaia and vanilla were some of the products that became known as the so-called “drugs of the sertão”.
Most of the time, the extraction of drugs from the sertão was carried out by the Jesuit missions that were located in the interior of the territory and took advantage of the available indigenous labor. At the same time, the pioneers, in their incursions into the interior, also carried out this same activity with the objective of selling these products in the coastal region. In general, the extraction of drugs from the sertão met demands from both the domestic and foreign markets.
By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Brazil School Team
Brazil Monarchy - history of Brazil - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "The Sertão Drugs"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiab/as-drogas-sertao.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
