Salt and Pepper

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
1

Hi Cecil

I heard somewhere that it is a fallacy that spices were used to disguise the off flavour of half-rotten meat because the spices were a lot more expensive than the meat. Only wealthy people would have purchased the spices so would not have eaten half rotten meat.

Your thoughts?

ETA: Link to column: How did salt and pepper become the standard table spices? - The Straight Dope

2

RBlake, I added a link to the column before I saw your question was already under discussion here: Covering the taste of rotten meat with pepper - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board

Please take all questions and further discussion over to that thread. This one is closed.