Calamus

Calamus is a spice, which has been traded in the Middle East going back to 2nd century BC. In the Middle Ages, the fragrant roots were imported to Europe via Turkey in candied forms as exotic Oriental sweets. However, in 1574, the Austrian Ambassador to Turkey sent the Director of the Vienna Botanical Garden a parcel with rhizomes of calamus suitable for planting. At that point it became clear that the plant was anything but exotic for Europe. It was famous in the region under the name “Tatar herb”. From the 16th century onward, calamus was cultivated in Europe. Tatars brought the plant to Russia in 12th-13th centuries. They believed that the calamus roots purified pond water, and wherever calamus grew, the water could be drunk without the risk of becoming sick.