Piper nigrum

The history of the spice trade is actually the search for peppercorn. Peppercorns and long pepper (longon) from India's Malabar coast came to Europe 3000 years ago. In 408 AD, the Goths demanded peppercorn as part of their prize when they captured Rome; later, peppercorn was traded ounce for ounce of gold and was used as currency to pay rent, dowry and taxes.

Today, peppercorn is known as the king of spices or the main spice and accounts for one quarter of the total world trade in spices. In terms of scope and variety, peppercorn remains the most important spice and generally the most added ingredient to dishes after water and salt.

Although always valued as a flavor enhancer, peppercorn gained its popularity for its medicinal properties as a digestive stimulant and expectorant.

Black, white, green and orange or red peppercorn (we are not talking about pink peppercorn, which is most often used in peppercorn mixtures, it is not related to this plant) come from the same plant, but they are processed differently and harvested in different periods.

Berries grow in bunches on vines that climb trees or artificial supports and can grow up to 10 m in height. The vine begins to bear fruit only in the third year, and it is in full force from the age of 7. Bunches of peppercorn, numbering about 50 berries, are harvested by hand in different periods depending on whether black, white, green or red pepper is harvested.

BLACK PEPPERCORN is obtained from unripe, green berries that are then briefly boiled in water to clean them and prepare them for drying. Due to the heat, the walls of the cells in the peppercorn burst, accelerating the process of the enzymes responsible for the brown color obtained during drying. The berries are dried for several days in the sun or by machine, during which time they shrivel and turn black. On some estates, the short boiling process is omitted.

After drying, an extract or oil can be obtained by crushing the peppercorn. The extract is used in famous drinks such as Coca-Cola and many cosmetic and medical preparations, and the oil is used as an Ayurvedic massage oil.

FLAVOR

Black peppercorn has a fine, fruity, pungent aroma with warm, woody and lemony notes. The taste is spicy and sharp, and leaves a clean and penetrating taste in the mouth.

USED ARE unripe and ripe fruits.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE

When ground, peppercorn rapidly loses its aroma and taste, so it is best to buy whole berries and grind them in a pepper mill or mash them in a mortar as needed. In a well-closed container, peppercorns can last for more than a year.

Peppercorn has different characteristics in the various regions from which it originates, so it is classified according to where it grows.

Generally speaking, the flavor of peppercorn depends on the amount of essential oil it contains, while the amount of piperine alkaloids justifies its spiciness.

Black peppercorn contains both aroma and pungency. White peppercorn contains less essential oil than black peppercorn because the oil is found in the shell, which is removed during cleaning; this also explains why white peppercorn, although pungent, has a weaker aroma. Over time, the strength of the flavor compounds in essential oils evaporates.

Essential oils and the amount of piperine varies depending on the origin of the peppercorn. The best quality peppercorn is Indian MALABAR; it has a fruity aroma and pure spiciness. TELLICHERRY is the class with the largest berries. Indonesian LAMPONG peppercorn has more piperine and less essential oils, so it is more pungent than aromatic; the berries are smaller and gray-black in color. SARAWAK peppercorn from Malaysia has a milder aroma than Indonesian berries, but it is spicy and caustic. BRAZILIAN peppercorn has a smaller amount of piperine and is quite mild. VIETNAMESE is light in color and mild.

USE IN COOKING

The peppercorn is neither sweet nor spicy, barely pungent. Although it is often used in spicy dishes, it can be used with fruit and in sweet bread and cakes. It enhances the taste of other spices and retains its flavor during cooking.

The aroma of black peppercorn can be felt in dishes around the world. Even chili lovers in Latin America and South Asia use peppercorns to spice up cooking liquids, stocks, salad dressings and sauces, or crush them to add to spice mixes and marinades.

Ground peppercorn is rubbed into fish and meat before grilling or in the oven; spices up rich dishes and curries; it is used to season simple vegetables with butter and smoked fish.

In France, mignonette peppercorn is often used, a mixture of black and white peppercorn, black for aroma, white for strength.

IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR baharat, berbere, garam masala, ras el hanout, quatre epices.

IT IS GOOD WITH most dishes.

COMBINES WELL WITH basil, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coconut milk, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, lemon, lime, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary, thyme, turmeric.