If this was the house I grew up in the shakers may have been salt, black pepper (we called it spicy pepper), and allspice (which is called sweet pepper in Arabic).
The problem here is that it just says “European” and I haven’t read what I certainly think the book the OOP mentions (A short history of nearly everything) in well over a decade so I have no context for where this area might be. Or when that area might be. Eastern Europe in the mid 1800s? I’d assume paprika. Andalusian Iberia at its peak? I’d assume something completely different.
If I had a third shaker it would probably contain dried mint for salads.
Lemon ≈ vinegar, okay, neat.
If this was the house I grew up in the shakers may have been salt, black pepper (we called it spicy pepper), and allspice (which is called sweet pepper in Arabic).
The problem here is that it just says “European” and I haven’t read what I certainly think the book the OOP mentions (A short history of nearly everything) in well over a decade so I have no context for where this area might be. Or when that area might be. Eastern Europe in the mid 1800s? I’d assume paprika. Andalusian Iberia at its peak? I’d assume something completely different.
If I had a third shaker it would probably contain dried mint for salads.
It’s a different book. I’m pretty sure it’s called At Home. It’s a much more recent book than A Short History Of Nearly Everything.