Where Does Black Pepper Come From? What is Black Peppercorn?

 Browse online stores for purchasing wholesale bulk whole spices like black pepper used in various recipes. Indeed, the black pepper holds a unique space in the average Indian household.

However, other spices live tucked away in dark cupboards with black pepper proudly utilized in shakers and grinders. In addition, the seasoning item was used in multiple recipes and stored on the kitchen counter.  

The flavourful spice is sprinkled in recipes at the dining table in every home and restaurant. Besides, it is the only seasoning item that finds its way into nearly every dish.

The Origin Of The Black Pepper

You might be surprised to know that the vine is native to India but is grown in every tropical region. At present, Vietnam produces and exports black pepper, around thirty-five percent of the world’s supply.

However, this export process is followed by Brazil, India, China, and Sri Lanka. Indeed, it is used in practically every single style of cuisine. In this manner, the black pepper is the most traded spice worldwide.

Therefore, these statistics will make up twenty percent of the world's total spice trade. Practically, the black pepper powder  trade is worth billions of dollars annually. Instead, it is surprising that this tangy spice has been liked for thousands of years.

In ancient times, it was primarily consumed as a medicine. In addition, you can even use this spice in preserving mummies in which bodies had peppercorns stuffed in the nostrils. 

Besides, this process helps keep the body clean and cures insomnia and toothaches. You might not know that ancient Romans and Greeks liked black pepper. 

But, practically, the ancient Roman cookbook Apicius, written in four AD, uses black pepper in eighty percent of its recipes. Therefore, the desire for this spice was also a driving force for many explorers like Columbus and Vasco de Gama. 

These explorers hoped to find a faster route to India and acquire it for spice-hungry European markets. Furthermore, peppercorns get their spicy bite from a chemical called Piperine found in the peppercorn’s fruit and seed. 

In addition, piperine can break down when exposed to heat, air, and light. So, black pepper, peppercorns and ground pepper should be stored properly or used quickly.

What Is Black Peppercorn?

First, you can buy the necessary wholesale bulk whole spices like black peppercorns from online stores. In addition, peppercorns are the fruits of a flowering vine in the Piperaceae family. 

Moreover, the green, wide-leafed vines grow long tendrils where cylindrical clusters of the berries ripen. In addition, the fruits contain small thin skin, little fruit, and single large seed.

However, the fruits are picked at varying ripeness depending on their strength. In addition, there are different types of pepper desired and then processed accordingly. This seasoning item is a tiny fruit, the drupe, a fruit with a single seed in the middle. 

The flowering vine is piperine grown in tropical regions, native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Also, the best peppercorns in the world come from the Malabar Coast in the Indian state of Kerala. 

It is once a luxury item, only available to the wealthy, peppercorns and the resultant ground pepper. But, remarkably, this seasoning item is one of the most necessary culinary spices. When salt is added to almost every dish we eat.

Also, the colour of different peppercorns you see in the online store is a result. When the tiny fruits are harvested, or else the type of processing they undergo after selection. 

Moreover, black pepper and peppercorns start as green peppercorns, which are the unripe fruit of the piperine. 

Besides, the fruits grow in long, thin bunches on the vine, clustered like grapes. Furthermore, these bright green fruits are first cooked and then sun-dried. Specific enzymes turn the skin a dark brown, almost black, during the dying process.  

Also, these natural processes will cause the fruit's outer skin to contract and wrinkle. Indeed, black peppercorns have been traded across the world since ancient times. 

On the contrary, they are presumably consumed with other fragrant spices as part of the mummification process. In addition to the spicy flavour, pepper adds to our dishes. Also, there are profound health benefits of consuming black pepper. 

Moreover, it is antioxidant and antibacterial. In contrast, one of the most critical health benefits to humans is that pepper stimulates the release of stomach acid. In addition, it will help to improve the digestion of proteins. 

Therefore, black pepper can act as a carminative, a fancy way to prevent intestinal gas formation.

Which recipes require the use of black pepper in medium quantity?

The black pepper in powdered form is more often consumed in various recipes and other masalas. For instance, whole peppercorns are utilized in pulaos, biryanis, and dals. In addition, they are the primary condiment for soups, sandwiches, stews, sauces, salads, curds, and grilled meat.