Black Pepper

What is Black Pepper?

Black pepper as a spice is the dried seeds of a perennial climbing plant that are used in cooking and other industries. From the same black pepper seeds, several different spices are obtained at once, differing in taste, aroma and appearance - these are white, green, pink and red peppers. This is achieved by processing black pepper seeds using various technologies. Pepper oil is also obtained from black pepper.

Varieties of Black Pepper

Black Pepper

Black pepper is made by drying slightly unripe black pepper berries. Black pepper is the most common and used spice in the world.

White Pepper

White pepper is made from shelled black pepper seeds.

Green Pepper

Green pepper is made from black pepper berries of various ripeness, processed using various technologies. Green peppers may be slightly unripe black pepper berries that have a mild flavor and green skin. Green peppers can also be completely unripened black peppers, which come in whole bunches with smooth berries. Another variant of green peppers is fermented unripe green peppers, which are processed to last longer than just dried green peppers.

Pink Pepper

Pink pepper is made by drying mature black pepper berries. Due to the ripening of the fruit, pink pepper has a sweetish aftertaste. Pink pepper is a fairly rare spice, sometimes called red pepper.

Red Pepper

Red pepper is a variant of the name for pink pepper. Red peppers, made from black pepper fruit, should not be confused with hot cayenne peppers, sometimes also referred to as red peppers.

The Use of Black Pepper in Cooking

Black pepper is widely used in cooking and is part of the recipes of dishes in almost all countries of the world. In cooking, ground black pepper and black peppercorns are used; it can be used as a separate spice or as part of various seasonings, consisting of mixtures of various spices. Ground black pepper is obtained in production by grinding black peppercorns, and at home - by grinding in special kitchen mills for black pepper. Black pepper, along with salt, is used in the cooking of most dishes - soups, sauces, gravies, marinades, salads, cooking all types of meat and fish, preserving vegetables. Pepper oil is obtained from the fruits of black pepper, which is used in the recipes of some alcoholic beverages.

The Use of Black Pepper in Medicine

In medicine, they are used as the fruits of black pepper as a means of stimulating digestion, and in folk medicine - as a remedy for diarrhea, constipation, colic and flatulence.

The Benefits and Harms of Black Pepper

Black pepper has a lot of useful properties - it stimulates digestion and metabolism, helps to lose weight, removes toxins from the body, has an antioxidant and antibacterial effect, improves body tone, removes swelling, relieves joint pain, helps to treat respiratory diseases, reduces intracranial pressure, and also used to treat skin conditions. The beneficial properties of black pepper are due to the presence of piperine, piperidine, vitamins, essential oils, iron, calcium, carotene, phosphorus and other useful substances in its composition. Black pepper can cause harm through individual tolerance or an allergic reaction, but this happens very rarely.

Scientific Name of Black Pepper

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a species of the genus (Piper) in the Pepper family (Piperaceae).

Black Pepper and Its Cultivation

Black pepper originated from India, but now does not grow wild, but is cultivated in countries with a tropical climate. The world leader in the supply of black pepper is Vietnam, in addition, it is exported by Indonesia, India, Brazil and some other countries. An interesting fact is that although Vietnam produces the most black pepper, it is practically not used in the country itself. Black pepper is grown on plantations, where pillars up to six meters high are used as a support for this vine, which the vine wraps around in the process of growth. Black pepper bears fruit twice a year for thirty years, producing clusters of up to fifty berries. Seeds are collected, scalded with boiling water and dried in the sun, getting a ready-made spice - black pepper.

What Kind of Black Pepper Can You Buy?

You can buy black pepper in the form of whole seeds or in the form of ground black pepper. Ground black pepper retains its properties quite well when stored in a closed container, while it is easy to use in cooking. But the aroma of freshly ground black pepper is much stronger, so almost every kitchen has a special grinder so that black pepper can be ground before adding to various dishes.