# How did salt and pepper become the 'default' spices in Western cooking?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-default-spices-in-western-cooking/107268>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 4, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-default-spices-in-western-cooking/107268 "2002-05-04T17:21:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-default-spices-in-western-cooking/107268/1 "2002-05-04T17:21:17Z")

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I’ve always wondered about this. Salt I pretty much understand, it’s a fairly plentiful mineral, so that makes sense. But why pepper? Why not basil, or cumin, or any one of a number of things?  
Also, as a side note, when did this ‘canonization’ of salt and paper occur?

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-default-spices-in-western-cooking/107268/2 "2002-05-04T17:28:12Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_051.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_051.html)

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**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-default-spices-in-western-cooking/107268/3 "2002-05-04T17:33:34Z")

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Ouch…I should’ve known. Thanks for the link.