Peperstraat

The name Peperstraat dates back to 1469. Over time, the street was also known as Pepersteeg.

The Netherlands has approximately 61 streets named “Peperstraat,” spread across all provinces. The name often refers to the pepper trade. For example, Amsterdam once had a “Peperwerf” (pepper wharf), and there is still a Peperstraat there, on the site where the Dutch East India Company’s warehouses once stood.

However, the street name does not always have to refer to the spice trade. In the past, pepper could also be used to pay cijnzen, a form of tax. Pepper has been traded as a spice since the Middle Ages. In the sixteenth century, the high demand for this spice was one of the reasons for the founding of the VOC.