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Decoder Ring - Preview: Decoder Rings Back | The Second Spice

One of the many perks of subscribing to Decoder Ring Plus is access to every episode of Decoder Rings Back, our member-exclusive series where host Willa Paskin calls up a listener to answer their question about a cultural mystery directly.

This week we’re offering a taste of the latest Decoder Rings Back, where Willa tries to clear up our listener Samantha’s culinary confusion: Why, of all spices in the world, is black pepper always on the dinner table, right there next to salt?

It’s a delectable story that involves ancient Rome, Louis XIV, and Salem, Massachusetts. But to hear the whole…

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