Artifact: Ground Black Pepper
Materials: Ground Black Pepper
Dimensions:
Date:
Origin:
Collection: Nithyasrm via WikiMedia Commons
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Ledger Entry: Pepper
Department: Grocery
Customer: Thomas Self
Ledger Page: 222
Imported From: Pepper originated in India and spread to other nearby climates where it could be grown.
Product Description
Ground black pepper was the most common of all spices. Though colonial America only began to play a role in the trade of pepper after the Revolution, it was nonetheless commonly used during the colonial period. It was frequently added to meat and fish dishes, sauces, and pickles.
Citation: Katharine E. Harbury, Colonial Virginia's Cooking Dynasty (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2004); Andrew F. Smith, ed., The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007)
Historical Price: 1 shilling, 8 pence per lb.; Modern USD: $18.6
Product Variations
The databases record six purchases of pepper from the Ramsay databases. These ranged from half a pound to two pounds. The cost ranged from ten pence for half a pound to one shilling eight pence for one pound.
