In the days of Christopher Columbus, men were pretty much obsessed with spice. They yearned for it and basically traveled all around the world in a futile effort to find new spices. But, of all the men obsessed by sensuous spice, none was as seduced as Christopher Columbus, who went across the ocean searching for spices like cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger. However, one spice he looked for in particular was the black pepper! Source