Section IV Spices
Pepper
Pepper is subject to adulteration, like most other articles of consumption. The spurious pepper consists of chalk, flour, ground mustard-seed, &c. mingled with a certain portion of the genuine berry, a quantity of pepper dust, or the sweepings of the pepper warehouses, mixed with a little Cayenne pepper; the whole being made into a cohesive mass by means of mucilage. Even the whole berry has not been able to escape the ingenuity of sophistication. The adulterated berry is manufactured of the hulls of mustard-seed, or oil-cakes composed of the residue of lint-seed, from which the oil has been pressed, glue, common clay or chalk, and a certain quantity of stuff known and purchased in the market under the name and cabalistical abbreviations of P. D. or D. P. D., the first mentioned of which delectable ingredients is the dust which falls from the pepper-corns by their rubbing against each other in their voyage from the place of their growth to that of their importation; the other is the sweepings or refuse of the pepper warehouses. The first abbreviation signifies pepper dust; the second, dirt of pepper dust. The mode of manufacturing these inviting ingredients is to granulate the mass by pressing it through a sieve, and then to roll the grains about in a cask until they take a globular form. “Artists” are then employed to stick into each pepper-corn little sprigs, in order to simulate the appearance of the genuine berry. This practice was long carried on in London, without the least interruption or suspicion of the fraud on the public and the revenue, until the collection of the duties was, in the year 1819, transferred from the Customs to the Excise; when, on that occasion, several convictions of the offenders took place, which may be seen in the newspapers published about that period.
Pepper is of two kinds, the black and the white. Black pepper should be chosen large, heavy, firm, and not much shrivelled. White pepper is either factitious or genuine: the former is the ripe and perfect berry, prepared by steeping in sea-water and urine the best and soundest grains of black pepper for about the space of a week, when the skin or rind bursting, they are taken out and exposed to the heat of the sun until the skin or outer bark loosens, when they are rubbed with the hand till the rind falls off. The internal kernels are next perfectly dried in the sun, and then they are fit to be ground or manufactured into white pepper, together with such foreign ingredients as the conscience or ingenuity of the adulterator may suggest. The genuine white pepper consists of the blighted or imperfect berries of the same plant as produces the black pepper; but as it does not possess a strength and pungency, even when not adulterated, equal to the common black pepper, it is by no means preferable to that variety for domestic purposes, except where appearance is consulted, as in the case of its being brought to table. In fact, white pepper is always, whether genuine or factitious, inferior in flavour and quality to black pepper; and where it is factitious, its peculiar flavour and pungency are nearly lost.
Where the berries are supposed to be factitious, the readiest way of detecting the fraud, (independent of the deterioration of quality and flavour, which must be evident to every judge of the genuine article,) is to throw a few of the pepper-corns into a little water; when the artificial produce will swell up and soon become soft and sticky, and on the least degree of agitation will dissolve or fall to powder, while the genuine corns will remain whole and unaffected.
The same precaution that I have said should be observed by the purchasers of coffee—namely, never to let it pass through the mill of the grocer or vender, should also be observed in the purchase of pepper. When the cunning varlets have none of the adulterated pepper-corns by them, they will be sure of exerting some sleight-of-hand in slipping into the mill some of the before-mentioned sophisticating articles, or flour, or powdered hemp-seed or rape-seed cake, or ivory black, or the hieroglyphical P. D. or D. P. D. (if they are not already patiently waiting in the mill to lend their services as make-weights;) notwithstanding the poor purchaser may suppose himself lynx-eyed, and proof against imposition.
Another article of the pepper kind, friend John, with which thou art fond of tickling thy delicate appetite, and of exhibiting on “gaudy days,” as the sons of Alma Mater phrase it, in thy well polished castors, to thy admiring guests, like a sparkling star to be found only in the remotest part of the heavens, is the subject of sophisticating roguery. What thinkest thou, John, of the “dear bought,” “far fetched,” “long sought,” “gentleman-like” Cayenne pepper, which thou often wrappest up in as many folds of paper as an onion hath coats, that it should not lose its virtue, being adulterated with “red lead,” to prevent the delectable mass of which it is composed from becoming bleached on exposure to the light. I was thinking, friend Bull, to furnish thee with a test for discovering the fraud, but as I know of no one better than that given by thy expatriated countryman, the much injured Accum, I must refer thee to his book, 4th edition, p. 247. Perhaps the following extract from that excellent work, (the only book on cookery extant, that can be safely trusted to; for the genius of cookery is, believe me, John, in colleague with the spirit of sophistication against thy health; and for a confirmation of this assertion thou needest only look to the formulæ given in cookery books for imparting a fresh and lively green colour or hue to pickles—not to mention the consequences of the concentration of the virtues of certain articles, which, though harmless, while used in their original and simple state, are, as the author of the “Oracle of Health and Long Life” observes, in their concentrated state, potent poisons;) the Cook’s Oracle, by the late Dr. Kitchener, will be better adapted to thy wants and taste.
“We advise those who are fond of Cayenne not to think it too much trouble to make it of English chillies—there is no other way of being sure it is genuine.—They will obtain a pepper of much finer flavour without half the heat of the foreign; and a hundred chillies will produce two ounces. The flavour of the chillies is very superior to that of the capsicums. Put them in a warm place to dry, then rub them in a mortar, as fine as possible, and keep them in a well stopped bottle.”
Wholesome and economical receipts for making most of the other articles vended in oil shops will be found in the same useful work. Buy the work, John, thou wilt have no reason to begrudge the price; it is equally valuable to the man of “high” or “low estate;”—to him to whom dinner is the chief business of the day, who merely lives to eat, than eats to live—who seeth the sun rise with no other hope than that he should fill his belly, before it sets, who is not satisfied till he is surfeited; as well as to the man who lives according to old English hospitality, and eateth merely to satisfy nature and his better health.
Cloves
Great fraud is often practised by the vender in the sale of this commodity, either by depriving the cloves of their oil, which is easily drawn from them either by distillation or by simple pressure, or by causing them to imbibe or absorb a quantity of water a short time previous to their sale. When the oil has been extracted, the fraud may be discovered by the cloves appearing shrivelled, light, of a paler colour than their usual dark brown hue when perfect, without the ball or knob at the top, and with little taste or smell. When they have been forced to imbibe water for the purpose of increasing their weight, the adulteration may be detected by pressure between the fingers, and by the flavour and fragrance of the exudation. When good and bad cloves have remained long intermingled, the bad gradually absorb oil from the good, in which case the fraud becomes difficult of detection.
The clove to be in perfection should be large sized, plump, heavy, of a fine fragrant smell, and a hot aromatic taste, not easily disappearing off the tongue; easily broken, and when pressed between the thumb and finger should leave an oily moisture upon them, producing a slight sensation of smarting.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is adulterated by either mixing cassia bark with it, or a portion of the genuine article, which has been deprived of its essential oil by distillation.
Good cinnamon is smooth and thin, not much thicker than royal or stout writing paper, and rather pliable; of a light yellowish cast, inclining to red, a fragrant aromatic smell, and an agreeable sweetish taste. Thick, hard, brownish coloured specimens, of hot, pungent, or a bitter taste, should be rejected.
The cassia bark, which bears a great resemblance to cinnamon, is thicker, of a coarser texture, breaks short and smooth; whereas cinnamon breaks fibrous and splintery. The best method, however, of distinguishing cinnamon from cassia is by the taste. Thus, when cassia is taken into the mouth, it forms a sweet mucilage, and seems, when good, to dissolve almost entirely, whereas cinnamon has a bitter taste, and produces a bitter dryness in the mouth.
Criteria for judging of nutmegs, ginger, mace, &c. will be found in “Domestic Comforts and Economy.”