Peppers, Nutmeg, and Cloves: Part 1

Pepper has always been a good spice to use for your food. Today pepper is on every table, in every household, all around the world. This wasn't always the case, starting around the 5th century B.C., pepper became important. This little spice became one of the most major economic factors in the world. Countries began looking left and right to try and get pepper. Pepper was a mystery back then, why does it have a kick to it? Well today, it is known that pepper contains the chemical piperine. Piperine gives us that bite because when we digest it, our pain nerves respond to the chemical stimulus. Through out the centuries other "Peppers" have been discovered that offer us that bite, or pain. Columbus discovered Chili Peppers from the "new world", these peppers have a similar chemical to piperine called capsaicin, and it even has a similar structure. The thing is that these peppers taste completely different. It is believed that it is something about these chemicals that make peppers so "hot".