Pepper
Black pepper comes from peppercorn. The peppercorns are ground up and made into a fine spice known as pepper. Pepper is one of the most common spices in the world and it can be found on almost every table in the West.
Black pepper is made from the unripe berries of the pepper plant. The berries are cooked briefly in hot water. The berries are then dried in the sun for several days. During the drying process the fruit around the seed shrinks and becomes dark. White pepper is made from ripe berries that are soaked in water for about a week. After soaking, the fruit is rubbed off to expose the seed. The seed is then sun dried.
The history of pepper can be traced back to prehistoric India. So popular was the spice, traders often referred to it as “black gold”, a term which shows how much money merchants could get for it. Up until the 16th century, pepper was only grown in India’s Malabar region. However, by the 16th century, regions in Southeast Asia were cultivating their own crops. However, these regions traded mostly with China. The quest for pepper was a contributing factor in the European exploration of foreign waters.
Historians are not sure how pepper made its’ way to Egypt, but they know it was t here because it was found lodged in the nostrils of Ramesses II. It is believed that it was placed there as part of the mummification process. Historical records place pepper in Greece as early as the 4th century BCE. Merchant ships started crossing the Arabian Sea around 30 BCE.
Black pepper played an important role in history because it influenced the political landscape. Attilia the Hun demanded a ransom of pepper when he besieged the city. After the fall of Rome, the Persians and the Arabs took over the spice trade. As a result, many city states and provinces were formed on the coasts to promote the spice trade route.
