History Main / SpiceOfLife

This trope probably derives from the historical Eurasian spice trade, which was enormously valuable for centuries and a major motivator of European maritime exploration in the Age of Discovery. When Magellan's fleet circumnavigated the globe in the 1500s and only ''one'' ship out of five made it back, that ship's cargo of cloves and cinnamon was enough to repay all of the expedition's backers.

* ''Literature/SpaceCaptainSmith'': The second novel, ''God-Emperor of Didcot'', is by and large one long parody of Dune, with ''Tea'' taking the place of Melange. Yes, the brown stuff in a cup with milk and two sugars. Apparently it's what gives the British Space Empire the edge over everyone else. It Builds Moral Fibre, old boy. Very important.

* ''Literature/PolesotechnicLeague'': Nicolas van Rijn heads the Solar Spice and Liquors Company. Of course, Old Nick has his pudgy (but very strong) fingers in a lot of other profitable endeavors, as well.
* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': Several versions of spice exist, and many, but by no means all, are mined. The most expensive and worst is the "glitterstim" Han was running for Jabba. It's a drug from Kessel that makes people both high and (in concentration) mildly telepathic, as well as paranoid and twitchy. "Glit biters" is an in-universe term for people who take the pure form.

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'',

* In SPI's ''Star Trader'', "spice" is one of the four commodities the players trade in, alongside alloys, isotopes and monopolies.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Starport}}'', a obscure game in the vein of ''VideoGame/StarControl'', Spice is a resource that can produce valuable warp fuel for the player and earn some money. Obviously as a ShoutOut to Dune, desert planets produce this product.
* Non-science fiction example: Spice in ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'' is [[GRatedDrug the equivalent of cocaine]]. Eating it causes the eater to enter an UnstoppableRage. [[spoiler:Arpeggio plans to use the rage caused by spice to fuel his transformation into something akin to Clockwerk.]]

* Quafe can be said to be an ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' drug, despite it being a soda.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'', Spices are some of the most valued mundane items. They are rather hard to come by unless you are farming for them, and they are a necessary ingredient for most high-quality foods. The only ways to reliably get them are if you are a Pastamancer with one of the two spirits that can give them, or if you expend a ten-leaf clover (which are themselves pretty valuable and hard to come by) to retrieve some from the sewers.

* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' has Riggan spice, a strategic resource available only from one specific Trader Enclave. It provides bonus happiness for 120 months, and renewing the spice trade will even quote the trope maker.
** Later updates that consolidated the strategic resources made Riggan spice effectively [[SpaceX Space]] [[RidiculouslyPotentExplosive Gunpowder]], but now you can use it in your [[EatTheBomb Food]] [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce Processing]] [[SecretIngredient Plants]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', as Future Mandy uses her "cinnamon mines" to support her tyrannical regime. It's a parody of ''Dune'' and its sequels, particularly ''Literature/GodEmperorOfDune'', with Mandy as an immortal giant-worm God Empress who has had thousands of Billy clones (one at a time) created over the years to serve as her constant companion and UnwittingPawn in her EvilPlan.

For some reason, all kinds of futures have a high demand for something called "spice", though it tends to be only tenuously related to flavorings on Earth. Space spice is often a MineralMacGuffin, sometimes being the point of contention for all known nations and traders. Sometimes controlling it will directly allow you to control people's fates, either sociopolitically or magically. In other futures, spice is just a valuable trade commodity. It is nearly always a food or FantasticDrug but, depending on the story, can do other things such as fuel starships or act as a SuperSerum.

This trope probably derives from the Eurasian spice trade of history, which was ''enormously'' valuable for centuries. When Magellan's fleet circumnavigated the globe in the 1500s and only ''one'' ship out of five made it back, that ship's cargo of cloves and cinnamon was enough to repay all of the expedition's backers. The idea of a rare, extremely valuable product that cannot be synthesized artificially (along with reasonably CasualInterstellarTravel) serves as a justification for otherwise-economically-dubious interstellar trade, which is necessary for many standard SpaceOpera tropes such as [[IntrepidMerchant independent traders]], {{merchant prince}}s, [[VenturousSmuggler smugglers]], [[SpacePirates pirates]], trade convoys and so on.

** ''Film/StarWarsEpisodeIVANewHope'': Han Solo is in debt to Jabba the Hutt due to jettisoning a shipment of spice he was supposed to be transporting for him to keep it from being seized by TheEmpire. His spice was apparently some kind of drug. There's also mention of the spice mines of Kessel. As with a number of other elements in the movies, this is ultimately inspired by ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''.
** ''Film/StarWarsEpisodeIIAttackOfTheClones'': Spice miners on the moons of Naboo are the primary suspects of Padme's assassination attempt, until Obi-Wan finds out that Count Dooku and Viceroy Gunray are the real culprits.
** ''Film/SoloAStarWarsStory'': The spice mines of Kessel. They're an equivalent of salt mines RecycledInSpace in that they're a dangerous hellhole using slave labor, both robotic and organic.

* In ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', the ''Enterprise'' trades a rack of Earth spices for the recipe for [[{{Unobtanium}} Trellium-D]]. {{Justified|Trope}} as the ''Enterprise'' was extremely far from Earth, making Earth spices effectively irreplaceable (and therefore quite valuable). When selling the trader on the deal, Trip references the old spice wars: "On our planet, wars were fought over these."

* In SPI's ''Star Trader'', "spice" is one of the of the four commodities the players trade in, alongside alloys, isotopes and monopolies.

* Quafe can be said to be ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' drug, despite it being a soda.

For some reason, all kinds of futures have a high demand for something called "spice", though it tends to be only tenuously related to flavorings on Earth. Space spice is often a MineralMacGuffin, sometimes being the point of contention for all the known nations and smugglers. Sometimes controlling it will directly allow you to control peoples' fates, either sociopolitically or magically. In other futures, spice is just a valuable trade commodity. It is nearly always a food or FantasticDrug but, depending on the story, can do other things such as fuel starships or act as a SuperSerum.

This trope probably derives from the Eurasian spice trade of history, which was ''enormously'' valuable for centuries. When Magellan's fleet circumnavigated the globe in the 1500s and only ''one'' ship out of five made it back, that ship's cargo of cloves and cinnamon was enough to repay all of the expedition's backers. The idea of a rare, extremely valuable product that cannot be synthesized artificially (along with reasonably CasualInterstellarTravel) serves as a justification for otherwise-economically-dubious interstellar trade, which is necessary for many standard SpaceOpera tropes such as {{IntrepidMerchant independent traders]], {{merchant prince}}s, [[VenturousSmuggler smugglers]], [[SpacePirates pirates]], trade convoys and so on.

** ''Film/SoloAStarWarsStory'': The movie gives the series' first on-screen look at the spice mines of Kessel. They're an equivalent of salt mines RecycledInSpace in that they're a dangerous hellhole using slave labor, both robotic and organic.

** ''Literature/XWingSeries'': The Rogues have to talk a glitbiter -- someone who regularly takes glitterstim and shows it -- via hologram, and the glitbiter apparently forgets that he's using a hologram. Glitterstim telepathy doesn't work on someone who's aware of the glitbiter's ability and hostile, so because this guy can't read Rogue Leader, he gets defensive.

SpaceIsAnOcean for all science fiction and it shows with [[TwoDSpace two-dimensional space]] and {{Space Whale}}s. So what do we need to complete the trope?

Spices. ''{{Space|X}}'' spices.[[note]][[{{Portmanteau}} "Spaices"]], if you will.[[/note]]

For some reason, all kinds of futures have a high demand for something called "spice", though it tends to be only tenuously related to flavorings on Earth. Space spice (try saying ''that'' ten times fast) is often a valuable MineralMacGuffin, sometimes being the point of contention for all the known nations and smugglers. Sometimes controlling it is directly followed by controlling fates. In other futures, spice is just a valuable trade commodity. It is nearly always consumable but, depending on the canon, can do other things, such as fuel starships and act as [[FantasticDrug drugs]].

This trope probably derives from the East Asian spice trade in the early modern era. These spices were enormously valuable in their day. For example, the cargo of cloves carried by the one ship of Magellan's that made it back reimbursed his backers for the entire cost of the expedition. The idea of a rare, extremely valuable product that cannot be synthesized artificially (along with reasonably CasualInterstellarTravel), serves as a justification for otherwise economically dubious interstellar trade, which is a necessary background for many standard SpaceOpera tropes such as independent traders, merchant princes, smugglers, pirates, trade convoys and so on.

Also see AlienCatnip.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker (also counts for the [[Film/Dune1984 1984]], [[Film/Dune2021 2021]]-[[Film/DunePartTwo 2023]] films and ''Series/FrankHerbertsDune''). Spice is produced only by the {{sand worm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[note]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it in order to forsee the "safe" path through foldspace - otherwise, they run the risk of never emerging from the far side of the jump[[/note]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class takes some occasionally (often consumed as flavoring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). Addiction is rare off Arrakis -- on Arrakis, Spice is ''everywhere'', even if in concentrations too small for mining. This leads to an interesting case of irony. . . off Arrakis, the blue-within-blue eyes that signify Spice addiction are rare and a sign of either great personal wealth or having a very wealthy benefactor, as Piter [=DeVries=] is a Spice addict supplied by his master, Baron Harkonnen. On Arrakis, not having the Eyes of Ibad is a sign that you're wealthy enough to have most of what you consume imported, and thus free from Spice. And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

* ''TabletopGame/Space1889'' has bhutan. Not the country. It's a mildly narcotic Martian spice, perhaps Mars's third most important exports. Monopolized in by the Boreo-Syrtan League.

* ''VideoGame/{{Starport}}'', a obscure game in the vein of ''VideoGame/StarControl''. Spice is seen as a resource that can produce valuable warp fuel for the player and earn some money. Obvious as a ShoutOut to Dune, desert planets produce this product.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker (also count for the [[Film/Dune1984 1984]], [[Film/Dune2021 2021]]-[[Film/DunePartTwo 2023]] films and ''Series/FrankHerbertsDune''). Spice is produced only by the {{sand worm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[note]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it in order to forsee the "safe" path through foldspace - otherwise, they run the risk of never emerging from the far side of the jump[[/note]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class takes some occasionally (often consumed as flavoring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). Addiction is rare off Arrakis -- on Arrakis, Spice is ''everywhere'', even if in concentrations too small for mining. This leads to an interesting case of irony. . . off Arrakis, the blue-within-blue eyes that signify Spice addiction are rare and a sign of either great personal wealth or having a very wealthy benefactor, as Piter [=DeVries=] is a Spice addict supplied by his master, Baron Harkonnen. On Arrakis, not having the Eyes of Ibad is a sign that you're wealthy enough to have most of what you consume imported, and thus free from Spice. And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker. Spice is produced only by the {{sandworm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[note]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it in order to forsee the "safe" path through foldspace - otherwise, they run the risk of never emerging from the far side of the jump[[/note]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class takes some occasionally (often consumed as flavoring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). Addiction is rare off Arrakis -- on Arrakis, Spice is ''everywhere'', even if in concentrations too small for mining. This leads to an interesting case of irony. . . off Arrakis, the blue-within-blue eyes that signify Spice addiction are rare and a sign of either great personal wealth or having a very wealthy benefactor, as Piter [=DeVries=] is a Spice addict supplied by his master, Baron Harkonnen. On Arrakis, not having the Eyes of Ibad is a sign that you're wealthy enough to have most of what you consume imported, and thus free from Spice. And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker. Spice is produced only by the {{sandworm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[note]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it if they want to get the ship moving within anyone's natural lifetime[[/note]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class takes some occasionally (often consumed as flavoring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). Addiction is rare off Arrakis -- on Arrakis, Spice is ''everywhere'', even if in concentrations too small for mining. This leads to an interesting case of irony. . . off Arrakis, the blue-within-blue eyes that signify Spice addiction are rare and a sign of either great personal wealth or having a very wealthy benefactor, as Piter [=DeVries=] is a Spice addict supplied by his master, Baron Harkonnen. On Arrakis, not having the Eyes of Ibad is a sign that you're wealthy enough to have most of what you consume imported, and thus free from Spice. And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker. Spice is produced only by the {{sandworm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[note]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it if they want to get the ship moving within anyone's natural lifetime[[/note]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class is addicted to it (often consumed as flavoring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', as Future Mandy uses her "cinnamon mines" to support her tyrannical regime. It's a parody of ''Dune'' and its sequels, particularly ''Literature/GodEmperorOfDune'', with Mandy as an immortal giant-worm God Empress who has had thousands of Billy clones (one at a time) created over the years to serve as her constant companion and UnwittingPawn in her EvilPlan.
[[/folder]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', as Future Mandy uses her "cinnamon mines" to support her tyrannical regime. It's a parody of ''Dune'' and its sequels, with Mandy as an immortal giant-worm God Empress who has had thousands of Billy clones (one at a time) created over the years to serve as her constant companion and UnwittingPawn in her EvilPlan.

** ''Film/ANewHope'': Han Solo is in debt to Jabba the Hutt due to jettisoning a shipment of spice he was supposed to be transporting for him to keep it from being seized by TheEmpire. His spice was apparently some kind of drug. There's also mention of the spice mines of Kessel. Possibly inspired by ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''.
** ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'': Spice Miners on the moons of Naboo are the primary suspects of Padme's assassination attempt, until Obi-Wan finds out that Count Dooku and Viceroy Gunray are the real culprits.
** In ''Film/{{Solo}}'' we finally get a look at the spice mines of Kessel. They appear to be the equivalent of salt mines RecycledInSpace in that they're a dangerous hellhole using slave labor, both robot and organic.

* The second ''Literature/SpaceCaptainSmith'' novel, ''God-Emperor of Didcot'', is by and large one long parody of Dune, with ''Tea'' taking the place of Melange. Yes, the brown stuff in a cup with milk and two sugars. Apparently it's what gives the British Space Empire the edge over everyone else. It Builds Moral Fibre, old boy. Very important.
* In Creator/PoulAnderson's ''Literature/PolesotechnicLeague'' stories, Nicolas van Rijn heads the Solar Spice and Liquors Company. Of course, Old Nick has his pudgy (but very strong) fingers in a lot of other profitable endeavors, as well.

** In the Literature/XWingSeries, the Rogues have to talk a glitbiter--someone who regularly takes glitterstim and shows it--via hologram, and the glitbiter apparently forgets that he's using a hologram. Glitterstim telepathy doesn't work on someone who's aware of the glitbiter's ability and hostile, so because this guy can't read Rogue Leader, he gets defensive.
** A second type of spice, introduced with glitterstim in the Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy, is ryll, which is more common and named for the Twi'lek world of Ryloth where it was generally found.

** In ''Literature/TheHanSoloTrilogy'' it's stated spice is legal, just so expensive due to the Empire's monopoly over its mining for smuggling to be very profitable.
* Ordinary ginger turns out to be an addictive drug [[spoiler:and aphrodisiac]] to the vaguely reptilian members of the Race in Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Literature/{{Worldwar}}'' series. The setting isn't SpaceOpera, but trade ends up developing fast.
* Boosterspice in [[Creator/LarryNiven Larry Niven's]] ''Literature/KnownSpace'' series is engineered from an alien plant and stop the human aging process, letting people live indefinitely if taken regularly.

* Franchise/StarWarsLegends: Several versions of spice exist, and many, but by no means all, are mined. The most expensive and worst is the "glitterstim" Han was running for Jabba. It's a drug from Kessel that makes people both high and (in concentration) mildly telepathic, as well as paranoid and twitchy. "Glit biters" is an in-universe term for people who take the pure form.

** Andris spice is another variety from Kessel. It acts as a stimulant and sharpens concentration. In the Literature/YoungJediKnights series, an andris addict is reasonably proficient with a [[LaserBlade lightsaber]] due to her habit, even though she's not Force-sensitive.
** In ''Literature/TheHanSoloTrilogy'' it's stated spice is legal, just so expensive due to the Empire's monopoly over it's mining for smuggling to be very profitable.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Space 1889}}'' has bhutan. Not the country. It's a mildly narcotic Martian spice, perhaps Mars's third most important exports. Monopolized in by the Boreo-Syrtan League.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker. Spice is produced only by the {{sandworm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[labelnote:*]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it if they want to get the ship moving within anyone's natural lifetime[[/labelnote]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class is addicted to it (often consumed as flavoring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

** In the volume ''Far Trader'' one possible adventure
is the yearly race to bring the "loam truffles" from the planet where they are grown to a posh court.
* In SPI's [=StarTrader=], "spice" is one of the of the four commodities the players trade in, alongside alloys, isotopes and monopoles.

-->-- ''Film/{{Dune}}''

* The second volume of the ''Literature/SpaceCaptainSmith'' series is a ''Dune'' parody with [[SpotOfTea tea]] instead of melange.

* The ''Literature/SpaceCaptainSmith'' novel, ''God-Emperor of Didcot'' is by and large one long parody of Dune, with ''Tea'' taking the place of Melange. Yes, the brown stuff in a cup with milk and two sugars. Apparently it's what gives the British Space Empire the edge over everyone else. It Builds Moral Fibre, old boy. Very important.

* In SPI's StarTrader, "spice" is one of the of the four commodities the players trade in, alongside alloys, isotopes and monopoles.

** In the volume ''Far Trader'' one possible adventure is the yearly race to bring the "loam truffles" from the planet where they are grown to a posh court.

* ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'' has Riggan spice, a strategic resource available only from one specific Trader Enclave. It provides bonus happiness for 120 months, and renewing the spice trade will even reference the trope maker.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}]]'' has Riggan spice, a strategic resource available only from one specific Trader Enclave. It provides bonus happiness for 120 months, and renewing the spice trade will even reference the trope maker.

SpaceIsAnOcean for all science fiction and it shows with [[{{Two-DSpace}} two dimensional space]] and {{Space Whale}}s. So what do we need to complete the trope?

Spices. ''[[SpaceX Space]]'' spices.[[note]][[{{Portmanteau}} "Spaices"]], if you will.[[/note]]

For some reason, all kinds of futures have a high demand for something called "spice", though it tends to be only tenuously related to flavorings on Earth. Space spice (try saying ''that'' ten times fast) is often a valuable {{Mineral MacGuffin}}, sometimes being the point of contention for all the known nations and smugglers. Sometimes controlling it is directly followed by controlling fates. In other futures, spice is just a valuable trade commodity. It is nearly always consumable but, depending on the canon, can do other things, such as fuel starships and act as [[FantasticDrug drugs]].

%%[[folder:Comicbooks]]
%%[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker. Spice is produced only by the {{sandworm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[labelnote:*]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it if they want to get the ship moving within anyone's natural lifetime[[/labelnote]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class is addicted to it (often consumed as flavouring--the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.

* Ordinary ginger turns out to be an addictive drug [[spoiler:and aphrodisiac]] to the vaguely reptilian members of the Race in Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''{{Worldwar}}'' series. The setting isn't SpaceOpera, but trade ends up developing fast.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

* In ''Series/{{Firefly}}'',

* In ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' the ''Enterprise'' trades a rack of Earth spices for the recipe for [[{{Unobtanium}} Trellium-D]]. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as the ''Enterprise'' was extremely far from Earth, making Earth spices effectively irreplaceable (and therefore quite valuable). When selling the trader on the deal, Trip references the old spice wars: "On our planet, wars were fought over these."

[[folder: TabletopGames]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Space 1889}}'' has bhutan. Not the country. It’s a mildly narcotic Martian spice, perhaps Mars' third most important exports. Monopolized in by the Boreo-Syrtan League.
* {{Traveller}}: Downplayed. There are a lot of exotic products available from thousands of different planets. These do include spice. The "dust-spice" is loved by both Aslan and Vargr.

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* Basically every other space trader game has a spice commodity.
* Most FourX space games will have spice as a very expensive resource to buy and sell.
* In ''{{Spore}}'', most of the stuff you trade for sporebucks in the space stage is Spice, in various colors and ranks of rarity. The homage to ''Dune'' is obvious, down to the spice blows, although [[AllThereInTheManual the Sporepedia]] states that most of the spices are used for food.
** Generally speaking, the different colors of Spice from different worlds change the speech of the colonist's you put there, and although none of the creatures actually say anything identifiable, the tone and the accent is different. For example: Blue Spice, which is described as a sleep aid, results in colonist with a sort of smooth and relaxed tone. The sour Yellow Spice colonists sound somewhat high strung, and as for Pink Spice... they sound..."happy". Occasionally colonies, including the homeworld (99.9% of the time, red spice) will have different accents.
* ''{{Starport}}'', a obscure game in the vein of ''VideoGame/StarControl''. Spice is seen as a resource that can produce valuable warp fuel for the player and earn some money. Obvious as a ShoutOut to Dune, desert planets produce this product.
* The ''SpaceCaptainSmith'' novel, ''God-Emperor of Didcot'' is by and large one long parody of Dune, with ''Tea'' taking the place of Melange. Yes, the brown stuff in a cup with milk and two sugars. Apparently it's what gives the British Space Empire the edge over everyone else. It Builds Moral Fibre, old boy. Very important.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', as Future!Mandy uses her "cinnamon mines" to support her tyrannical regime. It's a parody of Dune and it's sequels, with Mandy as an immortal giant-worm God Empress who has had thousands of Billy clones (one at a time) created over the years to serve as her constant companion and UnwittingPawn in her EvilPlan.

* In ''{{Spore}}'', most of the stuff you trade for sporebucks in the space stage is Spice, in various colors and ranks of rarity. The homage to Dune is obvious, down to the spice blows, although [[AllThereInTheManual the Sporepedia]] states that most of the spices are used for food.

* In ''StarWars'',
** Han Solo is in debt to Jabba the Hutt due to jettisoning a shipment of spice he was supposed to be transporting for him to keep it from being seized by TheEmpire. His spice was apparently some kind of drug. There's also mention of the spice mines of Kessel. Possibly inspired from ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''.
** Spice Miners on the moons of Naboo were the primary suspects of Padme's assassination attempt in Episode 2.

* ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', the TropeMaker. Spice is produced only by the {{sandworm}}s of Arrakis, making the planet the most strategically important planet in the galaxy. The spice [[SuperSerum gives]] various psychic organizations their [[PsychicPowers abilities]], and allows (safe[[labelnote:*]]The actual FTL mechanism itself doesn't require spice, but due to an ancient prohibition on computing power, the navigators need it if they want to get the ship moving within anyone's natural lifetime[[/labelnote]]) use of the setting's manual [[FasterThanLightTravel FTL travel]]. Since it also extends life somewhat, nearly the entire ruling class is addicted to it (often consumed as flavouring -- the taste is described as somewhat similar to cinnamon). And withdrawal is fatal. Painfully. Critics generally see the spice as a metaphor for oil, making the Fremen Space Arabs.
* The second volume of the ''SpaceCaptainSmith'' series is a ''Dune'' parody with [[SpotOfTea tea]] instead of melange.

* ''StarWarsExpandedUniverse''. Several versions of spice exist, and many, but by no means all, are mined. The most expensive and worst is the "glitterstim" Han was running for Jabba. It's a drug from Kessel that makes people both high and (in concentration) mildly telepathic, as well as paranoid and twitchy. "Glit biters" is an in-universe term for people who take the pure form.
** In the Literature/XWingSeries, the Rogues have to talk a glitbiter -- someone who regularly takes glitterstim and shows it - via hologram, and the glitbiter apparently forgets that he's using a hologram. Glitterstim telepathy doesn't work on someone who's aware of the glitbiter's ability and hostile, so because this guy couldn't read Rogue Leader, he got defensive.
** A second type of spice, introduced with glitterstim in the Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy, was ryll, which was more common and named for the Twi'lek world of Ryloth where it was generally found.

-->--''Film/{{Dune}}''

Spices. ''[[SpaceX Space]]'' spices.[[labelnote:*]][[{{Portmanteau}} "Spaices"]], if you will.[[/labelnote]]

* ''{{Starport}}'', a obscure game in the vein of ''StarControl''. Spice is seen as a resource that can produce valuable warp fuel for the player and earn some money. Obvious as a ShoutOut to Dune, desert planets produce this product.