Description
Black Pepper is the dried mature berry of
Piper nigrum, a climbing, perennial shrub
mostly found in hot, moist region of Southern
India. Under cultivation pepper vines are
trailed over support as columns, 5-6 mtr
tall, 1-2 meter diameter. The climbing woody
stems have swollen nods with clinging roots
at each node, which helps in anchoring the
vine to the support trees (standards). It
has straight upward growing main stem and
have lateral shoots from the axils of the
leaves having shorter inter nodes without
adventitious roots. In such branches the
terminal buds get modified into an inflorescence
(spike) and the auxiliary buds continue
further growth.
The root system confined to 75-100 cm radius
and depth. The inflorescence is a pendent
spike, 3-15 cm long with 50-150 flowers.
Flowers are minute, white pale yellow, arranged
spirally on fleshy pedantries. The specie
is naturally self-pollinated and pollen
dispersal is aided by the presence of water
droplets. Fruit is a single seeded drupe
often called berry. It is spherical in shape,
green in colour, changing to red on ripping.
Origin
and Distribution Pepper is considered originated in
the hills of South Western Ghats of India.
It is now grown in Indonesia, Malaysia,
Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Brazil, Mexico, and Guatemala apart from
the country of origin.
Pepper requires hot and
humid climate and grows between 20 degree
North and South latitudes, from sea level
to up to 1500 meters above MSL. The crop
tolerates temperatures between 10 degree
and 40 degree C. A well-distributed annual
rainfall of 125 to 200 cm is considered
ideal for pepper.
Uses Pepper
is largely used by meat packers and in
canning, pickling, baking, considering
for its preservative value. It has the
ability to correct the seasoning of dishes,
therefore used as a final dash at the
end of cooking to effectively adjust the
flavour. It is an important component
of culinary seasoning of universal use
and is an essential ingredient of numerous
commercial foodstuffs. It is also used
as an ingredient in spice mixes. White
pepper is used in products like mayonnaise
where, black specks of black pepper is
not liked.
Other products in use are
pepper oil, oleoresin, micro encapsulated
pepper, green pepper in brine, dehydrated
green pepper, frozen pepper etc.
Black pepper is an essential
ingredient in Indian system of medicine.
Piperine, the pungent principle in pepper
oleoresin helps to enhance bio-availability
and therefore used in pharmaceuticals.
The major functional properties of pepper
are analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-oxidant
and anti-microbial.
