Spices are important to cooking. If I’m honest, when I think about cooking, the addition of spice is really what makes cooking an art and not just burning hunks of meat and vegetable over flame.
Knowing where your spices come from is important. You wouldn’t believe how different Cinnamon from Vietnam is to Cinnamon from China. Knowing the different flavor profiles can allow you to be a better cook, and create exotically delicious baked goods.