hard · SAT Reading & Writing

A historian hypothesized that the widespread use of 'spices' in medieval European cooking was motivated primarily by the desire of the upper classes to display their wealth and status, rather than to preserve meat or hide the taste of spoilage. Which finding, if true, would most directly support the historian's hypothesis?

1. Spices were most heavily used in fresh, high-quality meats served at feasts, while preserved and salted meats often contained very few spices.
2. Every single person in the medieval period believed that spices were the only way to ensure that a meal was healthy to eat.
3. Medieval cookbooks often instructed chefs to use spices in such large quantities that they would have been prohibitively expensive for the average citizen.
4. Many spices were imported from distant countries via dangerous and expensive trade routes.

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