Two of a kind
Salt and pepper shakers make inexpensive, colorful collectibles
By Corbin Crable
It’s one of the great culinary pairings of all time. There’s tomato and basil. Bacon and eggs. Pizza and beer.
And then there are two condiments that bring out the flavors in all of these and more: Salt and pepper, found together in shakers at nearly every table you see.
Once, only for the rich…
It wasn’t until the 17th century that salt and pepper found their respective mate at the kitchen table. Before that, salt was kept in a small bowl called a salt cellar and used with a small spoon. Native to India, black peppercorns were usually ground up in grinders at the table. Both seasonings were expensive to import before the 1600s, so the consumption of both was considered to be a symbol of wealth, especially in Europe, where they became more popular with time. Asian countries, meanwhile, used their own condiments to generate salty and peppery flavors – namely, soy sauce and crushed red pepper…
In this issue…
Features
Mid-America News
Books for Collectors
Vintage Discoveries
Feature Articles
A Message From Our Editor
The seasoning with a storied history
by Corbin Crable
Everyone knows there are two types of people: Those who crave sugary snacks, and those who would prefer something salty instead.
I’ve always fallen into the latter category — bring on the sodium chloride! As a child, at the dinner table, I would try to heavily salt my food, only to be stopped by my parents (thank goodness!).
Photo by D A V I D S O N L U N A on Unsplash