A History Of Pepper: The Spice Of Life

Cooking food is not as difficult as some might believe. But, what separates a decent, edible meal from an exquisite, delicious one is the flavor. Spices excite our palates; they make us want to eat more than we know we should. The most basic of all the spices is pepper. This does not indicate that pepper is not as good as some of the others you might find on a spice rack. With just the right amount of pepper, you can add flavor to any dish without fear of overpowering its essence.

Pepper's long history dates back to prehistoric India, which is pepper's native country. Pepper has been used in Indian cooking since at least 2000 BCE, but it could have easily been used even before then. Peppercorns were widely traded and were considered a form of commodity money, referred to as "black gold." Peppercorns were actually found in the nostrils of Ramesses II, placed there after his mummification in 1213 BCE. However, no one is quite sure how pepper made it all the way to Egypt or if it was used in actual cooking or other practices. Pepper was also seen in Greece around the 4th century BCE, although many believe it was an expensive commodity that only the rich enjoyed.

After the Roman Empire gained control of Egypt, ocean trading to southern India was quite common; pepper was now a spice found frequently among the Roman cargo, but it was still expensive. Black pepper continued to be a valuable spice throughout Europe and was sometimes used as currency. During the Middle Ages, all black pepper, along with most spices, came solely from the Malabar region of India. Some believe pepper was actually used to conceal the taste of partially rotten meat, but historians believe it is unlikely because only the wealthy could afford pepper and they certainly wouldn't have rotten meat.

It was not until the 16th century, that pepper was grown in Java, Sunda, Sumatra, Madagascar, Malaysia, and in other parts of Southeast Asia. We can thank the Portuguese for bringing it to the masses and for attempting to find a sea route to India. They could not hold the trade route for long, as other countries smuggled their spice cargo, which made pepper more easily accessible to the rest of Europe. As the pepper supplies increased, its price declined. It quickly became a household seasoning and it now counts for one-fifth of the world's spice trade.

Today, Vietnam is actually the world's largest producer and exporter of pepper, accounting for 34%, while India now provides 19% of this spice. It's interesting to think that pepper was once currency and now pepper and pepper grinders are items found in just about every home.

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