Pepper And Its Influence On European Culture

The taste of new food and luxury emerged in early modern Europe after the gate of New World was opened by thousands of caravans and cargo ships. These business shuttles were bringing in what were valuable and original from another continent to the fast developing and voraciously demanded European world. The Cape Route from Europe to the Indian Ocean pioneered by the Portuguese explorer navigator Vasco da Gama in 1498 brought in various spices with almost 4,000% profit. The Columbia exchange transported fresh fruit such as pineapple, cocoa and tobacco to the European continent, which further distinctively changed the consumption behavior on food. As a result of discoveries, the European lives elevated, especially the higher social standing

Pepper was highly demanded and prized in Europe in centuries because pepper can serving as an anti-bacterial agent, save food to salting, smoking or drying meat as a means of preservation, while there was no refrigerator. In cooking, pepper also coved the bad taste of spoiled meat and made some unwanted animal part became edible. In addition, pepper also has value as medical ingredients according to its hot and dry nature characteristics, which countered the moist and wet properties supposedly possessed by most meat and fish. The demand for pepper, or other spices, reflect people's combined taste shift for strongly flavored food, and newly belief over its medicinal properties. People started to not only satisfy the basic need of adequate food, but seeking the exotic flavor. They began to pay more attention to the well-being, and health of themselves. As for rich, once these varied properties of pepper were recognized, spice became objects of conspicuous consumption, a mark of elite status as well as markers of exquisite taste in all senses of the word. As for poor, the infuse of pepper ensured more food available to them with proper preservation with species. The life quality of the poor also elevated in some

In the beginning, sugar was very limited provided to the Europe before 1500 which introduced by Crusaders. Therefore, sugar was the rich's privilege because of the high price. Thus, consuming and possessing sugar initially served as a way of showing off a man's wealth and status. Sugar was hard to grow in Europe, and rock sugar was regarded as luxury possession. Serving sugar as condiments during the meal in this box also indicated such privilege and exalted social standing to guests invited by the host. But as the taste of Europe for sugar developed, slave labor started to boom and refining technique improved, so the price of sugar declined. Consumptions of sugar spread to lower classes. Later, the behavioral changed and food preference shifted resulted by sugar was also obvious among lower class as a result. Without the unaffordable meat as the protein source of their meal, they substitute with sugar. Though sugar's carbohydrates fails to satisfy the nutritional requirements of a daily need, it offered calories at a time where energy availability may have severely constrained labor input. Moreover, sugar was served as source of sweetness to food and drink, especially to coffee or tea. It was a European innovation of combining caffeinated drinks with sugar. Sweetened tea became popular amongst all classes in England. These combining beverages were therefore complementary goods.