# How far back in time does setting out salt & pepper as condiments at meals go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058 "2016-10-29T21:35:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/1 "2016-10-29T21:35:52Z")
Just curious what’s the history on salt and pepper as table setting must haves? Did the Pilgrims do it? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/2 "2016-10-29T21:38:11Z")
Cecil Adams on “[How did salt and pepper become the standard table spices?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/393/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-standard-table-spices)” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/3 "2016-10-30T16:01:08Z")
Bill Bryson’s “At Home” says that household tableware in the 19th century included tripartite cellars, with spaces for salt, presumably pepper, and a third spice. According to him, no one today knows what the third spice on offer would have been. Bryson’s reputation is not really that of a serious historian, though, so take what he says with a grain of … well, nobody knows. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/4 "2016-10-30T21:52:08Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Bill Bryson’s “At Home” says that household tableware in the 19th century included tripartite cellars, with spaces for salt, presumably pepper, and a third spice. According to him, no one today knows what the third spice on offer would have been. YMMV but amongst the PT family tableware the third cellar on the dining table was (indeed still is) mustard. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/5 "2016-10-30T21:57:29Z")
Agreed. I have a nice little collection of mustard pots, and it seems logical that, barring a better suggestion, the third cellar was for mustard. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/6 "2016-10-30T22:18:22Z")
The mists of unwritten antiquity, way back in the 19th century? It is sometimes hard to tell when Bryson is perhaps joking, and when he is just lazily making shit up. [A variety of salt-pepper-mustard sets.](http://m.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?isRefine=true&_nkw=Wedgwood+Grey+Brown+Condiment+Set+Mustard+Salt+Pepper+Vintage+Mustard+Spoon) ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/7 "2016-10-30T22:55:48Z")
Garlic? Is salt considered a “spice”? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/8 "2016-10-30T23:04:50Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Garlic? > > Is salt considered a “spice”? Probably best just to call it a “seasoning,” as it’s a mineral, and spices are usually defined to be of organic origin. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/9 "2016-10-31T01:32:24Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Bill Bryson’s “At Home” says that household tableware in the 19th century included tripartite cellars, with spaces for salt, presumably pepper, and a third spice. According to him, no one today knows what the third spice on offer would have been. Posh? ---
**Author:** ![Gretchion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8edcca/32.png) [@Gretchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gretchion)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-in-time-does-setting-out-salt-pepper-as-condiments-at-meals-go/770058/10 "2016-10-31T02:34:15Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Bill Bryson’s “At Home” says that household tableware in the 19th century included tripartite cellars, with spaces for salt, presumably pepper, and a third spice. According to him, no one today knows what the third spice on offer would have been. > > Bryson’s reputation is not really that of a serious historian, though, so take what he says with a grain of … well, nobody knows. I think it was salsa. Because people like to say “salsa”.