I can see how salt came into predominance as it being a flavour (I am Canadian) enhancer. But why pepper?
And why the both of them? Why not something local to regions?
hi! not discouraging other responses, but fyi, you can get started in this section of the FAQ
If you're up for a longer read, I would actually recommend Salt: a world history. You might be surprised at why salt is actually as expansive as it is.