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Black Pepper

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a tropical climbing plant cultivated for its pungent berries, known for their culinary and medicinal uses due to the active compound piperine. It thrives in humid climates with well-draining soil and requires support for its climbing vines. The spice is recognized for its sharp flavor and health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Saidul Islam
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9 views1 page

Black Pepper

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a tropical climbing plant cultivated for its pungent berries, known for their culinary and medicinal uses due to the active compound piperine. It thrives in humid climates with well-draining soil and requires support for its climbing vines. The spice is recognized for its sharp flavor and health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Uploaded by

Saidul Islam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a woody climbing plant in the Piperaceae family, cultivated for its

pungent, dried, immature berries (peppercorns) used as a spice. The plant requires a humid tropical
climate, good rainfall, and well-draining soil to grow. The active compound, piperine, gives black pepper
its characteristic hot flavor and provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties.

Botanical Details

Plant: A tropical flowering vine.

Fruit: The peppercorn is the still-green, unripe, dried fruit of the vine, typically 5 mm in diameter, with a
wrinkled, dark brown to black surface.

Active Compounds: Piperine is the primary compound responsible for its pungency and health benefits,
along with other volatile compounds that contribute to its complex aroma and flavor.

Cultivation & Growing Conditions

Climate: Black pepper thrives in the humid tropics with adequate rainfall (1250-2000 mm annually) and
high humidity.

Temperature: An ideal temperature range of 23-32°C is favorable, though it can tolerate a wider range.

Soil: Prefers well-draining soils with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.

Support: The vines are climbers that need a trellis or tree support, reaching heights of up to 10 meters.

Harvesting: Fruits are picked when they start to turn red, before fully ripening.

Culinary & Medicinal Uses

Culinary:

A widely used spice and condiment for seasoning dishes, it provides a characteristic hot, biting flavor.

Medicinal:

Known for therapeutic properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects due
to piperine.

Other Spices:

Black pepper is the whole dried berry. White pepper is the seed with the outer fruit removed. Green
pepper is made from other unripe berries.

Key Characteristics

Flavor: Sharp, spicy, hot, biting, with a characteristic aroma.

Properties: Contains antioxidants and has been shown to fight inflammation.

Interactions: Can interact with certain medications by affecting drug absorption, so consulting a doctor is
advised.

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