America. We think of it as a basic seasoning,
like salt, and use its moderate pungency and
pleasant aroma to fill out the flavor of many
savory dishes, often just before eating them.
Pepper is native to the tropical coastal
mountains of southwest India, where sea and
overland trade with the ancient world began at
least 3,500 years ago. It is mentioned in
Egyptian papyruses, was well known to the
Greeks, and a popular spice in Rome. During
this time it was largely gathered from wild
forest plants, though sometime before the 7th
century the vine was transplanted to the
Malay archipelago, Java, and Sumatra.
Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route from
Europe to southwest India in 1498, and the
Portuguese subsequently controlled exports of
black pepper for several decades. They were
followed by the Dutch and, beginning around
1635, the British, who established pepper
plantations. In the 20th century, a number of
countries in South America and Africa began
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(Barry)
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