An edible history of humanity

This looks like an interesting book, but look how the reviewer explains colonialism as a reaction to "Muslim monopoly"

"Though these products came from India, Indonesia and China, the spice trade had always been controlled by Arabs, who spun ludicrous tales about the origins of their wares to throw gullible Europeans off the scent as to the true source. To some extent, this Arab monopoly was circumvented by a land route to the East, controlled by Mongols. Once the Muslim powers cut off this route, marked by the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Europeans had either to accept the Muslim monopoly or find a new route to the East. The result was an explosion of exploration." (Thanks D.)

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/reviewofbooks_article/8013/