Click to view full screen
- Title:
- BLACK PEPPER & CACAO
- Date Created:
- 2021-11-15
- Description:
- The second Philippine colonial century was when both botanicals benefitted from Spanish government orders to cultivate them. Cacao seemingly introduced upon request of Juan Davila, SJ in 1663 and the cleric Bartolomé Brabo in 1670 was planted in missions. Black pepper originated in Kerala, India and was exported to Europe as far back as the 4th century BCE. The date of its arrival in Filipinas has yet to be proven with surety. By 1755 every indio family living in a pueblo was required to plant 10 bushes of pepper or cacao, or 10 trees of betel or coconut palm. Non-compliance was to be met with 25 lashes if commoners and 15 days in jail for cabezas de barangay and gobernadorcillos deemed complicit. The penalties may have been implemented with laxity. The government clearly wanted to increase local revenues. It had a monopoly on the sale of tuba and betelnut chew; licenses to sell were auctioned. The attempt to intensify backyard farming for cash cultivation however was not successful due to poor management on the ground. The British Occupation of 1762-1764 left colonial coffers empty, Manila sacked, and its wealthy residents in anguish. Filipinas could not continue as it had for its first 200 years of being a colony (1565-1764). The world was changing. Could Filipinas?
- Subjects:
- Juan Davila Bartolomé Brabo Pepper British Occupation Abuses Injustice
- Exhibition:
- Philippine Food 200
- Source:
- Antonio De Azevedo Negrão photo of a black pepper plant (Piper nigrum) for dreamstime
- Type:
- Image;Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "BLACK PEPPER & CACAO", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
- Reference Link:
- felicepstamaria.net/items/coll273.html
Rights
- Rights:
- public domain