Jayne Henn is a Museum Assistant in Old Town San Diego. She is also an enthusiast of California landscape and spices. We are happy to have Jayne’s first post on GBH! (CR)
To me, pepper is truly the “King of Spices.” Fellow fans of pepper know that there are a variety of peppercorns in the spice world—black, white, green, and pink—and each brings their unique flavor and scent to any dish.
What most of us don’t know is that the pink peppercorns we consume come from one of two sources—either the Piper nigrum, a vine native to India, or Schinus Molle, also known as the California Pepper tree. Look on any hillside or in any neighborhood in Southern California and you are bound to find at least one of these beautiful, weeping-willow-like trees with their festive clusters of pink fruits.
I used to think I was upholding “locavore law” by using pink peppercorns … until I learned about the true life of Schinus molle.
Schinus Molle is not native to California, or any part of North America. The species originates from South America (Peru and Brazil) and was brought to California by the Spanish missionaries. During the 16th century, pepper was considered more valuable than gold. Romans brought pepper to Europe and the world was forever changed; Christopher Columbus would set out in a race with Vasco de Gama to the Malabar Coast of India for it, stumbling upon a “New World”—and a new source of pepper—in the process. Spanish sailors stuffed their shirt sleeves, pockets, and pant cuffs with the pink fruits, smuggling seeds of Schinus Molle home and abroad with them.
The plant did well in the arid climate of Alta California, and soon the missions began cultivating the trees for shade, and using the pepper in seasoning and for export. Schinus Molle proved to be drought, fire, frost, and pest resistant—enabling the species to survive and thrive in our soil for more than 400 years.
Schinus Molle is also not a source of “true” pink peppercorns. “True” pink peppercorns come from species of the Piperaceae family. Schinus is from the family Anacardiaceae, or cashew trees. Schinus Molle’s fruits are called “false pink peppercorns” by anyone who knows better. Which is not to say we pepper fans don’t eat them; “false pinks” are commonly mixed with “true pinks” and peppercorns of other colors by modern spice companies. Brazil is the largest exporter of pink peppercorns today. (The U.S. is the largest importer of black peppercorns, interestingly enough!)
In addition, Schinus Molle is one of the most invasive plants >ever seen in California history and has wreaked havoc on our native ecosystems since its arrival. Its distribution increased exponentially as animals transported the seeds off mission lands and into the wild, where they germinated and took root. Schinus is a rapidly-growing tree, and dense patches of them soon displaced native plants across Southern California. Schinus has a root-suckering system which allows the plant to survive, even if the entire main tree is cut (or burned) down to the ground. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the California Invasive Plant Council (IPC) warn citizens against planting any members of the Schinus species because of the negative impact these plants can have (and have had) on the surrounding habitat.
So, now when I pass a California Pepper tree, refill my peppermill with peppercorns, or wave the waiter over to grind some pepper onto my meal, I think about the true life of Schinus Molle and its role in the ever-changing environment—and California history.
