_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.”