# Salt and Pepper

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-and-pepper/558633>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 28, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-and-pepper/558633 "2010-10-28T07:27:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RBlake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e8cbc/32.png) [@RBlake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RBlake)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-and-pepper/558633/1 "2010-10-28T07:27:25Z")

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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](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/393/how-did-salt-and-pepper-become-the-standard-table-spices)

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-and-pepper/558633/2 "2010-10-28T07:49:24Z")

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**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](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=582741)

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