[Sca-cooks] Spanish Pepper?

[Terry Decker]

Right, I had forgotten about Hispania.

I have yet to encounter "piper Hispanica" or "piper Iberica" in my 
meandering.  I haven't found an entry for it in Pliny and I'm fairly certain 
it would show up there, had the term been used.

What I think is happening is the logic chain:  Spanish pepper = capsicum 
pepper = long pepper = the same long pepper mentioned in Roman texts without 
consideration of changes in the use of "long pepper."  I just haven't found 
a documentable source for the error.

Bear

>
> I have no idea why ancient Romans referred to 'Spanish' pepper.  But
> certainly the word, at least originally, would refer to the Iberian
> peninsula and the area we now know as Spain.  It is perhaps best not to
> take the word too literally, the association with Spain might be pretty
> ephemeral (are French fries from France, for example?).
>
> I am curious as to the exact 'ancient Romans' who used the term Spanish
> pepper.  There might be a clue in there.  I'm not an expert on ancient
> Roman authors, however; my expertise is really more in the military/
> empire/political side of Rome.
>
> Aelianora de Wyntringham
> An Tir, Dragon's Laire