Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
A Spice of Life: An Overview of the Jewish Perspective on Pepper
2025-05-15
Pepper, perhaps the second most popular spice.
The classic pepper is the fruit of the vine Piper nigrum, which grows in small berries called peppercorns on long pods. However, when Christopher Columbus landed in the West Indies, he found plants called red bell peppers that looked very similar to the peppercorns he was looking for. However, because their smell could mask the rancid smells in the ship's stores, these spicy vegetables became popular with these explorers. Columbus quickly named these peppers, which has been a source of confusion for us ever since. In fact, we can only learnGemara(Commentary on the Talmud, a Jewish theological book)Only then can you remember this distinction.GemaraThere was discussion of "long pepper," which actually refers to peppercorns with long pods, and the now common garden peppers that don't grow long.
Due to this linguistic confusion, the term pepper has come to refer to several unrelated items. When the unripe fruit of the classic pepper vine is harvested and dried in the sun, it turns black and is called black pepper. When the fruit is allowed to ripen and dry on the vine, it remains white. Pimento is the unripe berry preserved in brine. On the other hand, capsicum (also known as paprika) is actually a variety of red bell pepper, renowned for its spicy flavor. Similarly, paprika comes from the many varieties of red bell pepper cultivated by Hungarians. They carefully guard the seeds, preventing the export of whole seeds to prevent their precious, gem-like spice from being cultivated elsewhere.
Pepper, regardless of its variety, is not a concern for kosher dietary laws year-round or during Passover. However, there are documented cases of companies adding oil blends to chili powder to maintain color consistency, while still calling it pure chili powder. Therefore, care should be taken to purchase reliable products that are certified kosher for Passover.
Humans have the ability to appreciate the taste of food, and have discovered many ways to enhance its flavor.(Jewish legal norms)Itself is calledtavlinSpices. Spices and other condiments add an important dimension to our food and to the Halakha regulations related to Jewish dietary law. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that it is full ofPentateuch(Jewish legal norms)The fragrance.