>...rather than covering them up with spices (originally a measure to make up for the fact that things spoil easily in warm climates)

While salt was used to preserve meat, the idea that the huge historical demand for spices was to cover up the taste of spoiled meat is a myth.

https://culinarylore.com/food-history:spices-used-to-cover-t...

https://historymyths.wordpress.com/2014/10/25/revisited-myth...

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/vztzpd/where...

etc