I'm going to disagree with whoever wrote the Reality Is Unrealistic entry.
Point 1: Spiced food was a luxury reserved for the rich...in Europe. In places where the spices were imported from, spices were more common, and used more often. That's why (for instance) Indian food is so spicy; spices were available. People in Europe used available plants to make their meals taste better, too, we just don't think of those as spices.
Point 2: Even if spices were universally a luxury, people would still know about spiced foods. That's like saying "Silk clothes were a luxury for the rich, so it's silly to expect people to know they can use silk for clothes and not just washcloths."
I'm going to disagree with whoever wrote the Reality Is Unrealistic entry.
Point 1: Spiced food was a luxury reserved for the rich...in Europe. In places where the spices were imported from, spices were more common, and used more often. That's why (for instance) Indian food is so spicy; spices were available. People in Europe used available plants to make their meals taste better, too, we just don't think of those as spices.
Point 2: Even if spices were universally a luxury, people would still know about spiced foods. That's like saying "Silk clothes were a luxury for the rich, so it's silly to expect people to know they can use silk for clothes and not just washcloths."