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The Discovery of Pickled Peppers in the New World
Accredited to "discovering" the Americas, Columbus also discovered
peppers, assuming them a variety of the spice black pepper and falsely claimed
it "pimiento" or, pepper. In fact, the two plants aren't related. Explorers
succeeding Colombus brought back many varieties of peppers to Europe and
marvelled at the uses and importance peppers had in native cultures. In
order to preserve them on the long voyages, the peppers were pickled.
Soon pickled peppers became a culinary delight all over the world.
Sailors were not the first to pickle peppers. Culinary historians believe
that wherever peppers were grown, the civilization used pickling as a form
of preservation and flavor variation. An advocate of the pickle trade,
Englishman Edward Long, who settled in Jamaica, published in 1774 a survey of
the island including explanations on 15 native varieties of peppers and how to
prepare them.
Page design by Pickle King (rob@pickleking.com)
Page Last modified on 8/02/99
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