# Pepper — WHE Definition Discussion (1-10038)

**URL:** <https://community.worldhistory.org/t/pepper-whe-definition-discussion-1-10038/16994>\
**Category:** WHE Articles\
**Created:** [September 2, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/pepper-whe-definition-discussion-1-10038/16994 "2021-09-02T16:01:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![geneticsofberries](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/community.worldhistory.org/geneticsofberries/32/307_2.png) [@geneticsofberries](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/geneticsofberries)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/pepper-whe-definition-discussion-1-10038/16994/1 "2021-09-02T16:01:30Z")

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Since antiquity, pepper has always been the most important spice in the world. It played a central role in the medicines of ancient India and China, became a critical component of Roman food, and remained central in the cuisine of medieval Europe. Dreams of its acquisition drove Vasco da Gama (c. 1469-1524) around the Cape of Africa to the Indian Ocean and Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World.

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_This is a companion discussion topic for the original definition at [https://www.worldhistory.org/Pepper/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pepper/)._

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**Join the Conversation**

- Why do you think pepper became so valuable in so many places?
- Do you think pepper was more of a food or a status symbol in medieval Europe?
- Why do you think people later lost interest in pepper and other spices?

Is there anything you'd like to ask me about this definition? Ask away — and if you spot something that should be covered, that's useful to know too.