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| Black Pepper |
Piper nigrum |
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The spice proves indispensible in every kitchen.
Pepper is considered KING OF ALL SPICES.
The spice, which plays a crucial role in many kitchens worldwide, is the fruit of plant PIPER NIGRUM.
India is the greatest producer of pepper. It is also grown in
Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Vietnam.
Trade in pepper constitues 1/4 of the whole market for spices all over the world. America is the biggest importer of pepper.
Like salt, pepper used to be very expensive; its price was increased due to demand in the Roman Empire. Arabs made a real fortune out of supplying pepper to Romans, and Roman merchants often added juniper berries to pepper so as to earn more money. At a time pepper cost as much as gold weighed. It is said to have been an epoch-maker as Europeans sought the way to the East because of pepper. The chase for pepper stimulated the whole trade in spices and was wayfinding, But for pepper, colonial empires of the modern world would not have been created. A magnificent career of a small peppercorn is bygone past, however pepper is still one of the most important spices for cooks all over the world.
Black pepper comes from the rainforests of India; the best one comes from Malabar Coast. This perennial after 8 years becomes ripe and bears peppercorns for over 20 years. Unripe, green peppercorns are picked; their taste is milder and more "fruity" but spicy. After sun-drying black pepper is obtained.
In order to obtain white pepper, peppercorns should remain on the branches as soon as they ripen and become red. Next they are dipped in water, cut off from their pericarp and dried. They are less spicy in taste than black pepper.
Red pepper, ripe, is difficult to buy, except for countries where it grows. Almost ripe, soft, pink peppercorns of South-American tree Schinus, terebinthifolius, are the so-called pink pepper. Their aroma is slightly resinous, and culinary value is mainly colouristic: they stand in perfect contrast when mixed with green, black and white pepper.
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