Which Shaker has the most (or least) amount of holes - Salt or Pepper?

And the definitive answer is …

It depends!

The number of holes in salt and pepper shakers varies by culture, health and taste.

Here in the US excessive salt is considered bad for you, so the salt shaker is the one with the fewer holes, but in parts of Europe it’s the other way around.

It also has to do with availability – in some places salt was rare and prized, whereas in Europe it was difficult to get your hands on Pepper since it’s a spice from the Orient (very exotic) which was used to spice up meat that was past its prime.

Another factor is the size of the grains – some salts are quite coarse while others are very fine - and pepper can be ground or it can be cracked, which many cooks prefer. So, what will pour better?

Exceptions abound - you can have 1, 2, 3 or more holes in a shaker, and they go from tiny holes to huge ones.

In the end, everybody wins! The next time you shop for a salt and pepper shaker set, just buy according to your taste - practical or whimsical - and fill them as you wish. Enjoy!

You can learn more interesting facts about salt in our So What About Salt page, learn about the history of salt in the Where Is Salt From? page, or about pepper in the Pepper What? page, which are all part of the Interesting menu above.

You can also buy some amazing shakers in The Salt and Pepper Shaker Store, or plan your visit to the museum in the Location-Hours page, and get a peek at the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in the Pictures page, which now includes a Google 3D walk through the museum. Do you have Windows 8? Then you can also get an App which is a virtual visit of the museum!

The museum has been featured in many TV and Radio programs, like Unwrapped on the Food Network, and in print and web in places like the American Profile sunday insert or the Smithshonian magazine . You can find these and more in the As Seen... menu above.



