Black pepper

Black pepper consists of the dried, unripe drupes harvested from the woody flowering vine Piper nigrum of the Piperaceae family.

You’ll find it sold as whole dried peppercorns, ground or freshly cracked powder, and as green peppercorns preserved in brine or vinegar that are traditionally pickled in parts of south India.

Black pepper gives a distinct, biting pungency from the alkaloid piperine and a deep, lingering warmth. Whole peppercorns also carry piney, citrusy and woody aromatic oils, and gentle dry roasting or tempering in warm ghee softens the harsh bite and releases subtle woody and floral aromas.

Crushed black pepper with cumin is the quintessential flavour base for South Indian milagu rasam; you’ll recognise it by the peppery sting and warm finish. Whole peppercorns give texture and bursts of warmth in ven pongal, and black pepper is a key pungent component in whole garam masala mixes and in Indian spiced chai.

Use whole peppercorns in hot ghee or oil during tadka to perfume the fat, dust freshly cracked pepper at the very end of cooking to keep the volatile aromatics, and add coarsely ground pepper into marinades for South Indian pan-fried meats and seafood.

Black pepper is indigenous to the tropical evergreen rainforests along the Malabar Coast and Western Ghats of southern India. Karnataka is the leading producer in India, with heavy cultivation in Kodagu and Chikmagalur, while Kerala (Wayanad, Idukki) is a major traditional producer and Tamil Nadu grows it commercially in the Ghats. Malabar Pepper is registered under the Indian Geographical Indications Registry across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Per 100 grams, black pepper is rich in manganese, vitamin K and iron, and it contains the bioactive compound piperine; the small amounts used in cooking add little to daily intake.