Hello, thank you for this great resource. Someone here in Providence was looking at the Gemara in Shabbos Daf 140A just before the mishna, it describes Anomlin as wine, honey and peppers. He asked me if I knew what type of peppers the word pilpallin usually refers to (I know the word pilpallin is in many places). Is that something someone there would be able to answer? Thank you very much.
Moshe Golden, Providence, RI, USA
Dear Moshe,
The pepper described seems to be ground (black) pepper.
The Yerushalmi (Shabbos 12:2), describing Anomlin, says that "grinding it" (Pnei Moshe) or beating it strongly into the mixture (Korban ha'Edah) is forbidden.
The Beis Yosef (end of OC 319), when discussing Anomlin, mentions that honey and spices (apparently the pepper) are mixed into the wine to give it a special taste and smell. He adds that the mixture is then sifted so that the wine becomes clear. He also mentions that the preparation of Anomlin involves grinding. (See also Magen Avraham OC 321:25.)
(Modern-day sources that mention the Greek "enomilin" discuss only the honey and wine, not the pepper.)
All the best,
Reuven Weiner