Spice Profile: Peppercorns by Dave DeWitt History “Pepper,” wrote Plato, “is small in quantity and great in virtue.” First mentioned in Indian writings more than 3,000 years ago, it was beloved by the Greeks and was the spice favorite of ancient Rome. In fact, Roman officials saved the city from Visogoth attack in A.D. 408 by paying a tribute which …
Herbie’s Spice World, Part 2
Herbie’sSpice World by The Sultan of Spices, Ian “Herbie” Hemphill Part 2 Other Varieties of “Pepper” In part two of the pepper story, we have a look at some other spices commonly referred to as pepper. The first two, cubeb pepper and long pepper are related to the true vine pepper (Piper nigrum) we discussed before, while schinus, Sichuan …
Herbie’s Spice World, Part 1
Herbie’sSpice World by The Sultan of Spices, Ian “Herbie” Hemphill Part 1 True Pepper “Pepper” is the most confusing name that has ever been given to a spice. The problem is that there are too many spices referred to by that word. The original peppercorns (Piper nigrum) were so sought after and treasured that when the Spanish discovered chiles …
Pimentón: The Smoked Chile Powder from La Vera, Spain
by Dave DeWitt Recipe Index Spanish Chorizo with Pimentón Pimentón Garlic Soup Grilled Tuna Steaks with Salsa Pimentón Everyone knows that Columbus carried chile peppers to Spain from the New World on his second voyage in 1493, but who first used the pods for flavoring food? José Guerra, writing in “Foods from Spain News,” speculates that monks at the Monastery …
Is Hot Sauce a Dutch Treat?
By Mark Weinkrantz Editor’s Note: As a pilot for Northwest Airlines, Mark hasthe opportunity to sell his hot sauces all over the world. Far from my usual stomping grounds in the Orient, I had an opportunity to visit one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. Amsterdam sits on the North Sea with most of the city actually below …