Black pepper (spice)

Food, Plant source foods, Flowering plats (angiospermae), Mesangiosperms, Magnoliids, Piperales, Piperaceae, Piper, Black pepper (species)

Species name: Piper nigrum

Availability: Earth

Note: For better understanding, please read the article on flowering plants (angiospermae) first. If you come across unfamiliar words, you can click on any highlighted term to open the glossary with definitions of key botanical terms.

Introduction

Black pepper comes from the unripe, still green drupes of the black pepper plant. These drupes are quickly placed in hot water, a step that both cleanses them and starts the transformation process. The heat damages the cell walls, setting off enzymatic reactions that lead to browning as the drupes begin to dry.

After this initial stage, the drupes are left to dry—either by sunlight or using drying machines—for several days. During this time, the outer layer of the drupe contracts and becomes dark and wrinkled, forming a thin shell rich in melanoidin. At this point, the spice becomes known as black peppercorn.

To obtain the common powdered form, the peppercorns are crushed, producing black pepper powder used in cooking. This grinding process may also release a concentrated essential oil, extracted for other uses.

Classification of black pepper

Black pepper is classified according to the cultivar of Piper nigrum from which it is derived. Based on this, we find:

• Malabar black pepper
• Tellicherry black pepper

Nutritional facts table

Since nutritional values can vary slightly depending on the cultivar, the figures provided below represent general averages.

Nutrients	Per 100 g
Calories (kcal)	251
Total fat (g)	3.3
———Saturated fat (g)	1.4
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Sodium (mg)	20
Total carbohydrates (g)	64
———Dietary fiber (g)	25
———Total sugar (g)	0.6
Protein (g)	10

Recipes that use this product as an ingredient:

Carbonara (Pasta alla Carbonara)