What is the central idea of the passage?
In the Middle Ages, spices that are now ordinary
were rare imports from faraway places.
The spices at the Champagne fair were from the
Middle East, where they were used in cooking.
O Pepper was highly regarded in Europe, so
merchants demanded more and more of it.
The Champagne fairs relied on a vast trade network
that drove up the prices of new and rare goods.