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Hercules and Hemmings Kitchen Pepper
Hercules and Hemmings Kitchen Pepper

Hercules and Hemmings Kitchen Pepper

Exclusive Spice Blend by Michael W. Twitty

$10.00
off
4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
5 Reviews

"One of the greatest joys of writing The Cooking Gene was introducing folks to kitchen pepper, an 18th century American descendant of the quatres epices, a Medieval spice mixture that harnessed the flavors of Africa, the Middle East, and south and east Asia." - Michael W. Twitty

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Cooking Gene Spice Collection by Michael W. Twitty

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Glass Jar Net Weight: 2.6 oz

No Additives, GMOs, Or Fillers, No MSG, No Salt

Ingredients

grains of paradise

allspice

cloves

cinnamon

nutmeg

Black pepper

Origin

One of the greatest joys of writing The Cooking Gene was introducing folks to kitchen pepper, an 18th century American descendant of the quatres epices, a Medieval spice mixture that harnessed the flavors of Africa, the Middle East and south and east Asia. Some of those same spices were also prominent in West Africa, while others were comparable to local spices gathered and used in everyday cooking. To colonial Americans kitchen pepper was a versatile way to add flavor to dishes from the everyday to the celebratory. For Black cooks on the eastern seaboard into the interior and along the southern coast, kitchen pepper reigned for two centuries as a mixture of sweet and pungent spices that give depth and savor to simple comfort food. Imagine a pinch or two in mashed potatoes or in gravy in place of black pepper in a recipe or in a pot of stock. Kitchen pepper helps elevate and vary home cooked, especially Southern, meals. Hercules (Washington) and James Hemings were two of America’s greatest early chefs, and they were both born enslaved on Virginia tobacco plantations and each labored for one of the two most well known figures of the American revolution and its aftermath, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, respectively. Hercules, a celebrated chef, cooked for Washington both at Mount Vernon and at the Philadelphia residence where Washington served part of his presidency. He was a man of fine dress and manners and an entrepreneur. He liberated himself on Washington’s birthday and we believe made it to New York where he lived out his days as a free man. James Hemings, brother to Sally Hemings and half brother to Jefferson’s wife, was trained to cook at the age of 19 in France. He became literate, multilingual and mastered the haute cuisine of the French court. Upon returning to America, James labored for seven years to train his brother to earn his emancipation from Jefferson, and spent years traveling in Europe and cooking up and down the eastern seaboard. James Hemings can easily be described as America’s first master chef, with many of his culinary creations merging his training with the ingredients not only of early America but those rooted in his African-Virginian heritage.

Tips for Success

  • Michael W. Twitty is a culinary historian and food writer from the Washington D.C. area. He blogs at Afroculinaria.com. He’s appeared on Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmern, Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates and most recently Taste the Nation with Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi. HarperCollins released Twitty’s The Cooking Gene, in 2017, tracing his ancestry through food from Africa to America and from slavery to freedom, a finalist for The Kirkus Prize and The Art of Eating Prize and a third place winner of Barnes&Noble’s Discover New Writer’s Awards in Nonfiction.
  • THE COOKING GENE WON the 2018 James Beard Award for best writing as well as book of the year, making him the first Black author so awarded. his piece on visiting Ghana in Bon Appetit was included in Best Food Writing in 2019 and was nominated for a 2019 James Beard Award. His next book, Rice will be out with UNC press in 2021. Koshersoul, his follow up to The Cooking Gene, will be out in 2022 through HarperCollins.

FAQ

Are these blends salt free?

Yes! These blends are not only salt free but they are free of any preservatives, fillers or gluten.

Are these blends certified organic?

Unfortunately we do not have any certifications at this time but most of our spices are organically grown and all of them are non gmo. Each ingredient can be traced back to its origin. Email support@spicetribe.com for any questions.

Do you have recipes to go with these blends?

We are working on it! We have an ever expanding recipe library of chef tested recipes. Recipes using these spices will be up soon. Click here to learn more. Please shoot us an email if there are any recipes you would like to see at support@spicetribe.com.

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Reviews

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 5 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 4 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
100%would recommend this product
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5 reviews
  • BL
    Blaise L.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Fantastic

    A delicious mix of flavors that go great on so many things. The spices are bright and fresh and I'll be replacing black pepper with this for a while

    Was this helpful?
  • TF
    Tracy F.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Good - label is too small

    Loving the Kitchen Pepper. It's very versatile! Please consider changing the label on this product. The text is tiny. I am visually impaired and can barely read it.

    Was this helpful?
  • AD
    Anne D L.
    Flag of United States
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Tastes like home!

    The minute I made Michael Twitty's Kitchen Pepper and tasted it I was transported back to my great grandmother's home and foodways!

    The Cooking Gene is a transformative book for this 70 year old white foodie from Alabama! Bless Michael for writing it! I wish I knew him!

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  • N
    Nancy
    Flag of United States
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Where has this been all of my life

    Where has this been all of my life?

    I became a better cook during the pandemic but the advent of this pepper into my collection took my dinner tonight a whole new level. I used it to flavor meat and It was the most flavorful dish I have had in a long time including things at restaurants.

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  • JP
    Jen P.
    Flag of United States
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Culinary History in a Bottle

    I have made a few batches of my own kitchen pepper from the recipe provided in Michael Twitty’s book, but I came across this product and had to try it, if only for the ‘grains of paradise’ that I was unable to find for my homemade attempt. It’s a wonderful and layered flavor that’s impressively versatile in all kinds of dishes. I’m so glad I found it here and I will definitely be re-ordering.

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