Alamelu Vairavan, a Whitefish Bay resident, is an author and
culinary instructor. Alamelu has a passion for educating the
public about the use of spices and legumes in preparing healthy
and tasty foods. She is also interested in educating the public
about the growing research that points to the enormous health
benefits of spices in preventing many diseases. Her mission is
to enrich people's culinary experience and to inspire them to
discover that cooking and sharing healthful foods can be an
especially joyful experience. Visit Alamelu's web site,
CurryOnWheels.com. Guess what spice is considered the king of
all spices? It is "Black Pepper". According to the history of
spices, black pepper was a highly valued spice in Europe, and in
1498 Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, went on a long sea-
voyage to India primarily in search of pepper! Until he
discovered a sea route to India, the spice was brought to Europe
by land through Arab traders who kept the land route a secret.
In the 15th century, the West valued