Curiosity Corner #216: Tongue Twisters.

Peter Piper
picked a peck of
pickling pepper;
a peck of
pickling pepper
Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper
picked a peck of
pickling pepper,
where's the peck of
pickling pepper
Peter Piper picked?

You may see the "Peter" of this Nursery Rhyme
(actually a Frenchman, Pierre Poivre)
on Mauritius 1978 SG535a 60c

This set all has alpha numeric ??A , I know not why.
A copy of which (or any of the set, I unfortunately do not have)

Royal Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses

About seven miles (11km) northeast of Port Louis, and easily
reached by regular buses, lies the island's premier tourist
attraction, the Pamplemousses gardens (now officially called
the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens in
honour of the late Prime Minister, but still colloquially referred
to by their original name). The gardens are enclosed by
beautiful wrought iron railings which are today in bad repair
but when first manufactured in 1862 won a prize at an
international exhibition at Crystal Palace in London.

The gardens were first laid out in 1735 around the mansion
house of Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais, called Mon Plaisir,
http://www.mysterra.org/webmag/photo...ce/0129A42.jpg

as a vegetable garden to supply ships calling at Port Louis.

Later (1768) the house was bought by horticulturalist
Pierre Poivre (1719-86), who introduced plant species
from around the world interspersed with indigenous species.
http://mauritius.voyaz.com/Assets2/g...rre_poivre.jpg

The garden is redolent with the perfume of fruit and spice
trees, and the 24 hectares (60 acres) also sport a collection
of stately palms, ebony, mahogany, latania and pandanus.
A great attraction is a pond full of the Giant Amazon water lily.

Here is the original 60c stamp issued in 1978 showing Pierre Poivre.
http://seaside.hfxns.org/prodimg/sta...itius/450m.jpg

In 1980, it was overprinted as a 50 cent Postage Due stamp.
SG : #D16 http://i12.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/45/ea/59_1_b.JPG

On 1980, Jan 24 a commemorative series was issued for
Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens. The 25c. value showed
Poivre Avenue.

In 1995, Mauritius issued a set of 4 stamps showing spices.
The 5 Rupee stamp showed cloves.
http://prosi.net.mu/mag97/345oct/stamp12.jpg
Cloves were also introduced there by Pierre Poivre.

Bio for Pierre Poivre (en francais)
http://lesepices.ifrance.com/pierre_poivre.htm

The Gardens of Pamplemousse (English)
http://www.mysterra.org/webmag/mauri...es-garden.html


Blair

Thanks Blair, interesting,
I have tasted cloves, even chewed on some to relieve
toothache, but hitherto, had never sighted the plant.

Cloves the most valuable preservative in the 15th century.
Farming communities of Europe suffered from a chronic
shortage of winter feed for cattle, Large numbers of beasts
were slaughtered every autumn, and the meat preserved.

Hence the insatiable demand for preservative spices
Salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and cloves.

The most valuable spice cloves, came from a very restricted
producing area, a few small islands in the Molucca group,
Tidore, Ternate, Amboina and the Banda Islands.


"Blair (TC)" wrote in message
oups.com...

Royal Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses

About seven miles (11km) northeast of Port Louis, and easily
reached by regular buses, lies the island's premier tourist

I have a theory about pepper. Very hot meat dishes originated
by the need to mask the bad taste of spoilt meat. That was
hundreds of years ago, when there was no means of keeping
meat fresh in the tropics. Now it has become a tradition.
Does this sound right?

Tony

"Rod" wrote in message
...
Thanks Blair, interesting,
I have tasted cloves, even chewed on some to relieve
toothache, but hitherto, had never sighted the plant.

Cloves the most valuable preservative in the 15th century.
Farming communities of Europe suffered from a chronic
shortage of winter feed for cattle, Large numbers of beasts
were slaughtered every autumn, and the meat preserved.

Hence the insatiable demand for preservative spices
Salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and cloves.

The most valuable spice cloves, came from a very restricted
producing area, a few small islands in the Molucca group,
Tidore, Ternate, Amboina and the Banda Islands.


"Blair (TC)" wrote in message
oups.com...

Royal Botanical Gardens of Pamplemousses

About seven miles (11km) northeast of Port Louis, and easily
reached by regular buses, lies the island's premier tourist








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Yep, sounds exactly right, Tony
yet, if it is true I am uncertain.
It is classified as a preservative spice,
but perhaps the methodologies of 15th century
food preservation is lost.

In an interesting adjunct, my wife is Thai, and in her
occasional forays into Anglo Saxon recipes for her two "boys"
(eg Irish Stew etc) she always fails to add the condiments
and behind her back, we madly shake the salt and pepper pots
She insists that too much salt is not healthy, and she may be
right on that point, we point out in reply the make up of Thai fish sauce,
is there anything saltier?

If masking taste is indeed the origination, then we must applaud
the sub continent, is not a good Indian curry an explosion
in taste sensation?


"A.E. Gelat" wrote in message ...
| I have a theory about pepper. Very hot meat dishes originated
| by the need to mask the bad taste of spoilt meat. That was
| hundreds of years ago, when there was no means of keeping
| meat fresh in the tropics. Now it has become a tradition.
| Does this sound right?
|
| Tony