Karen Olson, age 13, of Pittsfield, Mass., for her question:
WHERE DOES THE SPICE PEPPER COME FROM?
Pepper is the familiar spice you find in pepper shakers around the world. The spice comes from shrubs that grow in Indonesia and other countries with hot climates.
Most of the pepper used in American homes comes from the islands. of Java and Sumatra. The United States buys about 27,000 tons of the spice each year.
A pepper plant grows small green berries about the size of peas. They turn red as they ripen. The berries are gathered just when they start to change color.
After they are collected, the berries are cleaned and dried. Sometimes they are dried in the sun and other times they may be dried before a slow fire. In drying, the berries turn black.
After the berries are dry, they are ground and sifted. The result is the black pepper which we know from our pepper shakers. Grinding can be either rough or fine.
White pepper is made form the completely ripe berries of the same plant. These are bruised and then washed until they are free from the pulpy matter and bits of stalk.
The berries are dried but they do not turn black.
White pepper has a finer flavor than block, but it is not so strong.
Red pepper is obtained from spices of capsicum and the so called Jamaica pepper is obtained form the pimiento tree. Jamaica pepper is also known as allspice.
The sharp, biting taste of ordinary pepper is due chiefly to an acid resin and oil it contains. Pepper also has some medicinal value.
Cayenne pepper is a hot tasting red powder made from the fruits or pods of a kind of capsicum plant. It is used to flavor foods such a tamales and chili con carne.
Cayenne pepper is made by powdering the dried fruits or grinding and baking them into cakes. The cakes are ground and sifted.
Capsicum is the name of a group of small, shrubby plants that grow in tropical America. They have long, pointed leaves and bear wheel shaped flowers that have five petals. Most fruits of capsicum plants are called peppers and are used as food.
Cayenne, or red pepper, is made from the dried fruits of two kinds of capsicum plants. These plants can be grown in colder climates.
Other capsicum fruits are used in making sauces and mixing pickles.
A Hungarian seasoning called paprika is made from other kinds of capsicum fruits that taste milder.
A few types of capsicum fruits are used in various forms to treat neuralgia, sore throat and rheumatism.
Cubeb is the dried, unripe berry of a climbing vine belonging to the pepper family. It grows in Sumatra, new Guinea and neighboring islands. It resembles black pepper. Cubebs are used as spices in Asia and as medicine in Europe and American.