The heat of august in Vermont is relentless. As a child, august was like the jungle of summer, overrun with lush greenery, cicadas, and mosquitos. There was no respite from the humidity, even when the sun painted the western horizon in the evening. The dusk came alive with peepers and the cicadas droned on in a buzzing chorus.

Black peppercorn is a ubiquitous spice found on nearly every table in the United States. It is used to spice dishes from Mexico to India, Italy, France, and the Middle East, and is the most widely used spice in the world (Cohen, n.d.). This humble little berry was once coined “black gold” and “king of spices” and is now celebrated for its  antioxidant and insulin-supporting mechanisms (Lyon, n.d. & Thottam Farm Fresh, 2020).