Considering all the spices and seasonings in the world, how did salt and pepper win over all the others?
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Salt is an essential nutrient, and the human body craves it, because it’s essential to many of our processes. So salt’s an easy inclusion in just about every cuisine, in one form or another.
As for pepper (especially black pepper), this is a much more Western/European thing. Black pepper is common in these cuisines because it adds a slight spice and a slight floral flavor to food, without being too extreme or covering up other flavors – it enhances most of the foods in those types of cuisine, rather than conflicting with them, and it’s versatile in that way.
But go outside of French, English, Italian, Spanish inspired cuisines, and you’ll see less pepper. Parts of Eastern Europe put paprika on the table, instead of a pepper shaker. Go to parts of North Africa, and you’ll find cumin. Go to Southeast Asia and you’ll find sambal-based condiments – all ingredients that provide piquancy and spice to enhance a dish, without overpowering the basic flavors.
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