<P> The pairing of salt and pepper as table accessories dates to seventeenth - century French cuisine , which considered pepper ( distinct from herbs such as fines herbes ) the only spice that did not overpower the true taste of food . They are typically found in a set of salt and pepper shakers , often a matched set . Salt and pepper are typically maintained in separate shakers on the table , but may be mixed in the kitchen . Some food writers , like Sara Dickerman , have argued that in modern cookery , a new spice could be used in place of black pepper . </P>
<P> The pairing of salt and pepper as table accessories dates to seventeenth - century French cuisine , which considered pepper ( distinct from herbs such as fines herbes ) the only spice that did not overpower the true taste of food . They are typically found in a set of salt and pepper shakers , often a matched set . Salt and pepper are typically maintained in separate shakers on the table , but may be mixed in the kitchen . Some food writers , like Sara Dickerman , have argued that in modern cookery , a new spice could be used in place of black pepper . </P>
when did salt and pepper become a pair
when did salt and pepper become a pair
seventeenth - century French cuisine
seventeenth - century French cuisine