The secret hidden under the pepper shell
Not all that glitters is gold, so goes the popular proverb, which also applies to peppercorns. At first glance, this shriveled spice may not seem to hide many secrets. However, few know that in earlier times it was a matter of prestige and even the pharaohs themselves enjoyed it. Although today pepper is considered one of the most widespread and commonly used spices in the world, commonly dominating European, Asian, and American cuisines, many of its secrets remain hidden even from chefs.
Pepper, for which one might even kill
Today, the term "black gold" probably brings oil to mind. However, before the start of its mass extraction, this term referred precisely to pepper, as it contained similarly great wealth. The history of the relationship between humans and black pepper in Asia spans thousands of years. It might seem that pepper arrived on European tables much later, thanks to maritime discoveries made during the 15th century, but traces of pepper found in the nostrils of Pharaoh Ramesses II and notes about pepper in Roman historians' writings suggest that pepper was known on the old continent much earlier.
Famous sailors and fearless Italian spice traders merely rediscovered pepper and built their powerful empire centered in Venice on the profits gained from trading it. Newly found trade routes gradually helped reduce the price of this commodity. Until then, crushed peppercorns on dishes represented a luxury that emphasized the host's prestige. However, from the 16th and 17th centuries, pepper ceased to be exceptional and slowly began to appear outside royal palaces and grand castles.
Not all pepper is the same – but in ancient times they didn’t really distinguish much
Interestingly, pepper also played a role in the discovery of America. Not only did Christopher Columbus believe that, thanks to one of the most important expeditions in human history, he had discovered a new route to India, but when he found a strange red fruit, he simply named it after pepper because of its spicy properties. And as we know, the same term for pepper and hot peppers is still used in some languages today. After all, cayenne pepper has little in common with black pepper since it is actually a crushed variety of chili pepper.
From the southern part of India, where the tradition of cultivating pepper originated, it gradually spread to other tropical regions of the world, such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even crossed the ocean to distant Brazil. Today, pepper accounts for about 20% of the total spice trade, with Vietnam becoming the leading producer. It produces up to one-third of the world's cultivated pepper, exporting most of this production to other countries. The reason is simple: Vietnamese cuisine uses pepper only minimally.
Which nation consumes the most pepper annually?
A significant portion of Vietnamese production goes to the United States, which, on the other hand, is among the world's largest consumers of pepper. Each year, pepper worth over 650 million dollars, nearly 15 billion crowns, is exported to this country. However, the biggest lovers of the sharp peppery taste are considered to be the inhabitants of Tunisia. They actually have the highest per capita consumption of pepper, specifically over 100 grams per year.
The greatest secret of pepper, however, remains its taste, which must be literally experienced on your own taste buds. For example, the one from Kampot defies all the experiences you have had so far with regular pepper and its flavors. Don't believe it? Taste it.
