A perennial climber, growing to 6 m (20 ft.), with a strong, woody stem and ovate, prominently-veined, dark-green leaves. It has drooping spikes of inconspicuous white flowers, followed by long clusters of spherical green fruits or berries, which redden as they mature. Black pepper is produced from whole fruits, picked and dried just as they start to go red; white pepper is from ripe fruits, with the outer layer removed, and green pepper is from unripe fruits, pickled to prevent it turning dark.
History and traditions
Black pepper has been a valuable trading commodity since Alaric I, King of the Visigoths, demanded 3,000 lb of it as a ransom during his siege of Rome between 410-408 BC. Its high price during the middle ages was a major incentive for the Portuguese to find a sea route to India, where it came from, although the price fell following the discovery of a passage round the Cape of Good Hope in 1498. As cultivation was extended into Malaysia, the Portuguese retained a lucrative trading monopoly in pepper into the 18th century, and much of the wealth of Venice and Genoa depended on its trade. In Britain it was heavily taxed from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Pepper’s virtues as a digestive were early recognized in the West and it has a long tradition of medicinal use in Ayurvedic and Chinese systems of healing.
Growth
Pepper requires deep, rich, manure soil, plenty of water, a humid atmosphere and a shady position. It is sometimes grown as a pot plant in temperate climates Parts used Fruits (peppercorns).
Uses
Medicinal
A pungent, stimulating digestive, which relieves flatulence. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine for coughs and colds and as a nerve tonic. It also has a reputation as an aphrodisiac.
Culinary
Its chief use is as a condiment and flavoring in a wide range of dishes in the cookery of most countries. It is currently the most widely consumed spice in the world.
