# Pepper Shaker/Salt Shaker - which is which? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2010, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621 "2010-05-16T08:18:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/21 "2010-05-16T20:00:30Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Traditionally, before the current paranoia about salt, the shaker with the larger (or more) holes got the salt, smaller (or fewer) holes got the pepper. The reason is that people generally use more salt, and a little pepper goes a long way. This is the way I remember things when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/22 "2010-05-16T20:58:16Z")
In my shakers, I put salt in the one with one hole and pepper in the one with multiple, because I like pepper better than salt, but I recognize that that’s a break in tradition. It doesn’t make much difference in telling them apart, because mine are clear glass. The simplest answer, of course, is that salt goes in the one with the S, and pepper goes in the one with the P. ---
**Author:** ![Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/23 "2010-05-16T21:07:22Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Salt, OTOH, makes things good and salty to hide the actual flavor. This is strongly to be desired by the US palate. My friend, you have never seen Israelis with the salt shaker. It’s actually sickening to see how they pour on the salt before they even taste the food. I’ve seen people take salads and literally pour a mound of salt over them. My kids tell me that their friends bring salt shakers along with their lunches to school every day. [QUOTE=Yllaria] Oh, and I rarely see one-holed shakers of any sort, It’s usually the same number of holes, but the salt shaker has larger ones. [/QUOTE] My wife was given a new set of shakers; one of them has one hole, the other has five. That’s what prompted this thread. [QUOTE=Gorsnak] Salt in the one with holes, pepper in the one you crank. No ambiguity whatsoever. [/QUOTE] I use a pepper grinder during the week. We are observant Jews, so we don’t use it on Shabbat (the Sabbath). Truth be told, the only time we even use salt is on Shabbat. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/24 "2010-05-16T22:21:33Z")
Any time I’ve bought ground pepper at the super market in a ready to pour plastic container, it comes in one with many little holes as opposed to one larger one. So I guess they’ve picked up on convention and sell what the customers expect. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/25 "2010-05-17T05:08:48Z")
I’m not sure about the many/few holes thing, but the way I figure it is that the size of the hole matters. Salt clumps. Around here, most people put uncooked rice into the salt shaker to prevent it from clumping. Salt shakers without rice generally has to be hit a few times loosen the salt. I have never, ever seen pepper clump. Also, most people here use McKormick’s Pure Ground black pepper, which tends to be powdery. With large holes, you get a stream of pepper instead of a sprinkle of pepper. Therefore, larger holes = salt, smaller holes = pepper. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/26 "2010-05-17T05:31:40Z")
> [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > Salt has one hole, pepper has many. I thought this was because generally salt is more free flowing and can more easily make it out of one hole. Ground pepper being more of a powder would take a much longer time to get a decent amount out of a single hole. That, and you don’t need as much salt. Single hole salt shakers usually have a porous stone just under the hole to absorb moisture, so the salt will flow freely. If it were to limit the amount of salt, it would be smaller. I can pour a 1/2 tsp into my hand in a matter of a second or two. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/27 "2010-05-17T07:00:05Z")
One hole shaker? Buh? 😕 Every one I’ve ever seen has either had the same or similar amount of holes in both, or the pepper one had a grinder in the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621/28 "2010-05-17T07:20:19Z")
In the UK, it’s definitely one hole = salt, many holes = pepper, assuming the shakers are different. I don’t think I have ever come across a one-hole shaker filled with _pepper_. It would freak me out, it’s just utterly wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pepper-shaker-salt-shaker-which-is-which/539621.md?page=1)