Cracked the pepper.

First of all HAPPY UGADI :) AND GOD BLESS.
I was in the mood for some research and decided to go ahead with it. The topic I researched is pepper. Just wanted to find some astonishing facts about it( if at all there were any). And, guess what I found? Some facts which were new to me and thought would interest you too. There are some unusual points too in the uses of pepper. Have a look, but before that try this tongue twister :

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper
If Peter Piper picked a pickled peck of pepper,
Where's the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?

So, who can repeat this twice,by rote, without stammering and within 15 seconds? I CAN:)

FACT #1
Do you know why pepper makes us sneeze???
Source - http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/pepper.html
A sneeze is a reflex that is triggered when nerve endings inside the mucous membrane of the nose are stimulated. Pepper, be it white, black, or green, contains an alkaloid of pyridine called piperine. Piperine acts as an irritant if it gets into the nose. It stimulates (or irritates) the nerve endings inside the mucous membrane. This stimulation will cause you to sneeze. Actually, the nose wants to kick out this irritant and the only way it knows how to do this is by sneezing."

FACT #2
Which company first made pepper mills??
Answer- Peugeot
Yes, Peugeot, the French car company, was the one that invented the mechanism in pepper grinders back in 1842. Though the internal technology of the actual grinding in every pepper mill out there is virtually unchanged from the original engineers' design, the exterior technology sure has come a long way. Peugeot makes the finest.

FACT #3

Source - http://www.tommcmahon.net/2004/11/black_pepper_fa.html
Black pepper is the number one selling spice in America.
The same pepper vine produces three different spices depending on the maturity of the pepper berry when picked and how it is dried.
Green Peppercorn -- immature berries are soaked in a salt water brine to preserve their green color, then freeze dried .
Black Peppercorn -- mature green berries that have been harvested and sun dried for seven to 10 days.
White Peppercorn -- fully matured berries that have turned red/yellow color and have been soaked in water to remove their outer skin, leaving the white pulp of the pepper berry

FACT #4
Source http://theanatomist.wordpress.com/2008/09/19/fun-facts-about-pepper/
Bell peppers and chili peppers are not really related to “pepper” other than that they are all plants. Bell peppers were misleadingly called peppers by Columbus when he found them in the New World, because at that time pepper was a very expensive and highly valued spice.

FACT #5
It was only in the 1980's that pepper began being used as pepper spray and became a legalized non-lethal weapon.
Pepper Spray History- By James D. Anderson Although the use of pepper spray can't be dated back too long ago, but history reveals that red chili pepper was being used for self defense in ancient India and China. In ancient India, it was not as popular as it was in China. A secret martial art society of people in ancient Japan called the Ninjas has been using grounded pepper for disabling their opponents for a long time. Historical evidence reveals that in the Tukagawa Empire era in Japan, the police used a weapon called the "metsubishi." Metsubishi was, basically, a box consisting of chili pepper and the police used to use this box for blowing hot pepper into the eyes of people who were found guilty of some crime.

USES:
Source

http://www.rd.com/advice-and-know-how/extraordinary-uses-for-pepper/article23981.html
Keep colors bright: Add a teaspoon of pepper to the wash load. Pepper keeps bright colors bright and prevents them from running too.
Get bugs off plants: There's nothing more frustrating than a swarm of bugs nibbling at your fledgling garden. Just when things are starting to pop up, the bugs are there, chowing down. Mix black pepper with flour. Sprinkle around your plants. Bugs take a hike.
Kill an ant colony: If you find the ants' home colony a little too close to yours and it is causing them to relocate to your kitchen, cayenne pepper can help get rid of it. Pour the pepper down the ant hole and say so long to ants.

http://jessicasjournalforjesus.blogspot.com/2008/11/did-you-know-crazy-facts.html

Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper. Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat. Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure. In no time, the bleeding will stop. Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. Pepper doesn't sting, either.
http://www.redhotcurry.com/style/garden/plant_cultures_facts.htm
The term 'peppercorn rent' is derived from the high price of black pepper during the Middle Ages in Europe, where it was accepted in lieu of money. Today this term means the opposite - virtually free!

Achooooooo.................Oh! Excuse me! I think this write up about pepper is making me sneeze;)

A big big cartload of thanks to all you guys who lent a hand in helping me decide on the one snap to be sent for the click contest conducted by Jai and Bee

http://jugalbandi.info/2009/02/click-march-2009-wood/ .

The majority of you decided on number 1 and 3. So, I respect your time and opinions and have decided to send number 1.

This post is also an entry for the Think spice think pepper event hosted my Divya, initially started by Sunita

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha