The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-03-09
RED PEPPER IN TWO FORMS.
Use of Cayenne Not Diminished,
Though Many Persons Think So,

| planned that in restaurants not strict
~ first-class, where exigencies of time
and business often compelled him to
take meal. he found it difficult now
adays, and sometimes impossible, to
obtain cayenne pepper. He left this as
| q grievance. taste and habit having
caused him to regard the condiment
as the natural accompaniment of GER
tain dishes. such as raw oysters. var
ious soups and stews, and even some
cooked vegetables, as stewed tomatoes.
The subject being brought up num-
Der OF others gave similar testimony
Speaking of an old and well-known
hotel, one said: Il dine freQuentl, at
| the - House. and 1t is only worry
rarely that find red pepper on my
| table When | want it with any dish,
l have to ask the waiter for it. and he
often has to make tour of the din
ing room before he finds any. Then
| he usually brings back bottle Of
| paprika, though what | wanted was
| cayenne" Another said that in a very
large downtown restaurant, where the
prices are popular and hundreds eat
every day, he had ventured only once
| to ask for red pepper. Then" he
said, the waitress was gone so long
that 1 thought she had forgotten the
order, and my oxtail soup was getting
cold. Finally she did bring a tiny
pepper-box of cayenne, explaining that
| 1t had taken her long time to find
| it,"
All agreed that in three cases out of
| four, where red pepper was called for,
paprika was furnished, instead Of the
old-fashioned cayenne. This naturally
| gave rise to the impression that the
former must be cheaper than the lat
ter. Inquiry in some of the sn all
cheap restaurants, of which there are
| now so many in New York, where ev-
| erything is clean and the limited num-
Der of dishes on the bill-of-fare are
| fairly good of their kind, showed that
in most cases no kind Of red pepper
was kept in the place. The explana-
ton given was that 1t was never
called for" Where the condiment was
found in such place, it was always
paprika.
One reason suggested for the alleged
| disuse OF red pepper was the disap-
pearance of the old-time caster, in
which bottle of cayenne often accom-
panied that of black pepper, with the
mustard pot and cruets.
In surprising contrast to most of
these statements of New York res
taurant experience, it was found by
inquiry in wholesale grocery houses
that the total consumption of both
cayenne pepper and paprika is annu-
| ally increasing in this country. Pap
rika was first introduced in this city
about fifteen years ago. through the
Hungarian restaurants, and its impor-
tation began to be extensive some ten
or twelve years ago. American con-
sumption of it is said to have increas-
ed 100 per cent. within the last two
years. Instead of being cheaper than
cayenne. paprika costs nearly double.
Its popularity is explained by the fact
that most persons prefer its mildness
to the strength of the pure cayenne
pepper. AS most people know, there is
no danger of mistaking the two from
their appearance, the paprika being a
much darker red than the other. and
more coarsely ground The best pap
rika comes from Hungary, and the de-
mand for it has become so great that
the spice man of one large wholesale
grocery firm said orders for the best
grade had to be given we'll in advance.
to make sure of getting them filed.
1t was probable, he declared, that fifty
cases of paprika amounting In all to
about 5000 pounds could not be found
in stock in this city today. The price,
he added. had advanced 25 per cent.
within the last four months. This
years crop in Hungary was claimed
to be short. but he believed that in
creased consumption had more to do
with the rise in price.
That a large amount is used in pri-
'ate families is indicated by the extern
81 sale of small tins, and it is ship
ped in this form to the Pacific Coast.
Despite the rivalry of paprika, the
imports and sales of cayenne pepper
have been largely increasing from year
to year. 1t has not lately advanced in
price. The greater consumption, it is
probable, is due chiefly to the increase
OF population and to the lessening of
adulteration. Formerly cayenne was
very commonly adulterated with
cheaper materials, principally cereals
colored red. Most of the best grade of
cayenne pepper is obtained from Zan-
zibar, and some equal to it comes from
Sierra Leone, while other supplies are
derived from Bombay. Madras, and
Japan. There are not enough red pep
pers of sufficient strength grown in
the United States to be worth grind
ing Those grown in Mexico are also
OF little strength, and are ground only
for local consulnption.-New York
Times.
A Costly Meal
Goats are popularity supposed to
feed on nondescript articles which no
other animal cOuld digest or masti.