The Spice Alex Guarnaschelli Insists Supermarket Stakeout Chefs Use
What would food be without spices like salt, garlic, sweet paprika, mustard, and pepper? The Spice Trader notes that spices were one of the most important commodities of the ancient and medieval civilizations due to their practical and economical power. Think about it, without spices many of the world's greatest civilizations and countries would have not been created or discovered. Would Christopher Columbus have set sail had it not been for the need to find a faster route to the East?
In today's day and age, no one understands the true importance and significance of how things like salt, garlic, and pepper are when it comes to cooking more than a chef. Something that celebrity chef and TV personality Alex Guarnaschelli reverberated on Twitter. The Supermarket Stakeout host stated in a tweet that the use of black pepper can be something that is "very effective" when cooking any meal. She stated that since the pantry on the show is so limited, using things like black pepper can be a game changer for any dish.
Black pepper was once a considered a luxury item
According to History, black pepper was once seen as a luxury item (the Dutch even had a saying "pepper expensive") due to the fact that it could only be found in the Kerala province of India in ancient times. The publication cites that getting black pepper from the field to your table shaker was a bit of an odyssey, as it would have to travel along the Silk Road (which was about 4,000 miles) and end up in Italy. Once there, Italian merchants would hike up the price of it making it something that only the wealthy could attain, but this didn't last long as other countries began sending ships to India themselves.
Since then, black pepper has come a long way and is actually quite good for you, Healthline reports. Black pepper is said to be rich in an antioxidant named piperine that can reduce free radical damage within the body. Consuming more black pepper can also be good for your brain's overall function, help the body regulate its blood sugar levels and even offer some pain relief. In addition to her love for black pepper, Guarnashcelli also holds a special place in her heart for other spices as well. In an Instagram post, the Iron Chef states that in addition to black pepper some of her other spice staples are things like ground ginger, dry oregano (the only herb she prefers dried), ground mustard, garlic powder and pink peppercorns.