Salt and pepper shakers or salt and pepper pots, of which the first item can also be called a
salt cellar
A salt cellar (also called a salt, salt-box) is an article of tableware for holding and dispensing salt. In British English, the term can be used for what in North American English are called salt shakers. Salt cellars can be either lidded or op ...
in
British English
British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...
, are
condiment
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...
dispensers used in
European cuisine
European cuisine (also known as Continental cuisine) comprises the cuisines originating from the various countries of Europe.
The cuisines of European countries are diverse, although some common characteristics distinguish them from those of oth ...
that are designed to allow diners to distribute grains of
edible salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as ro ...
and ground
peppercorns. Salt and pepper shakers are sometimes held in a
cruet-stand.
History and usage
Salt and pepper shakers can be made from a variety of materials, including
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...
,
glass
Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...
,
metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
, and
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
.
An 1872 newspaper stated: "A pepper-box for salt is the latest
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...
invention."
Salt shakers became increasingly common after
anti-caking agents were introduced by the
Morton Salt
Morton Salt is an American food company producing salt for food, Water purification, water conditioning, industrial, agricultural, and road/highway use. Based in Chicago, the business is North America's leading producer and marketer of salt. It i ...
company in 1911.
The
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
of the 1930s boosted the popularity of salt and pepper shakers as global ceramics producers concentrated on inexpensive items.
Except in the most casual dining establishments, they are usually provided as a matched set, sometimes distinguishable only by the number of holes on the top of the shaker. Designs range from small, plain glass
screw cap
A screw cap or closure is a common type of closure for bottles, jars, and tubes.
History
Screw caps had been used in Europe since the 1500s and a British patent was filed in 1810 by Peter Durand acting on behalf of Nicolas Appert. John Lan ...
containers (invented by
John Landis Mason
John Landis Mason (c. 1832 in Vineland, New Jersey – February 26, 1902) was an American tinsmith and the patentee of the metal screw-on lid for antique fruit jars commonly known as Mason jars. Many such jars were printed with the line "Mason's ...
, inventor of the
Mason jar
A Mason jar, also known as a canning jar, preserves jar or fruit jar, is a glass jar used in home canning to food preservation, preserve food. It was named after American tinsmith John Landis Mason, who patented it in 1858. The jar's mouth has a ...
) to more ornate works of art. Sometimes the design refers to some pair of related objects—such as a replica of a
West Highland White Terrier
The West Highland White Terrier (commonly shortened to Westie) is a dog breed, breed of dog from Scotland with a distinctive white harsh coat and somewhat soft white undercoat. It is a medium-sized terrier, though with longer legs than other ...
containing salt and a
Scottish Terrier
The Scottish Terrier (; also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly called the Scottie, is a dog breed, breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of terrier that were grouped under the name of ''Skye Terrier'', it is one of five br ...
containing pepper. Designs may also relate to specific occasions or holidays. As a result of this diversity of design, collecting salt and pepper shakers is a hobby. Design of salt and pepper shakers has also been used to transmit cultural perspectives about race and other cultural values.
Two
Museums of Salt and Pepper Shakers in the US and Spain are dedicated to showing the variety and history of salt and pepper shakers through the ages.
Żupny Castle
Żupny Castle is a Gothic castle, the former headquarters of the Wieliczka and Bochnia Salt Mine. The castle is located in the former mine complex and was designated as part of the Wieliczka and Bochnia UNESCO World Heritage Site, since an expan ...
in Poland also contains a collection of salt shakers.
Distinguishing salt from pepper
The number of holes varies by culture, health, and taste. In the United States, where excessive salt is considered unhealthy, salt is stored in the shaker with the fewer holes, but in parts of Europe where pepper was historically a rare spice, this is reversed.
In the UK, salt was often poured onto the side of one's plate and used for dipping, rather than shaken across the whole dish, hence salt cellars having a single, larger, hole.
The shakers may also be simply labelled "pepper" and "salt" or "p" and "s" (in some cases the latter may be formed of the holes for pouring), or may be colored white for salt and black for pepper. Many salt and pepper shakers are transparent, in which case they need not be otherwise distinguished.
As an alternative to salt and pepper shakers, pepper may be distributed at the table by use of a
pepper grinder, while salt may be distributed from a
salt cellar
A salt cellar (also called a salt, salt-box) is an article of tableware for holding and dispensing salt. In British English, the term can be used for what in North American English are called salt shakers. Salt cellars can be either lidded or op ...
or a salt mill.
See also
*
Salt pig
A salt cellar (also called a salt, salt-box) is an article of tableware for holding and dispensing salt. In British English, the term can be used for what in North American English are called salt shakers. Salt cellars can be either lidded or op ...
, a related dispenser
*
References
External links
Would You Like Some Salt and Pepper? How About 80,000 Shakers Worth?
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salt and pepper shakers
American inventions
Condiments
Serving and dining
Food preparation utensils