Salt. Pepper. Cinnamon. Most of us use these common spices every day, but did you know that prior to their place on every table in America, salt incited riots, pepper was used as currency, and cinnamon was at the center of an elaborate hoax?

I was schooled on the storied past of spices in a smart, fun read from Mental Floss. In addition to those three, writer Judy Dutton shares the rich history of saffron, nutmeg, and cubeb. I won’t give away too much here, but you’ll never look at your spice rack the same way again.

Check out the full article here.