Black Pepper Benefits
Arab merchants once made-up stories about dragons guarding pepper pits to protect this once valuable spice, and its popularity in medieval Europe helped instigate Columbus’ search for an eastern seat route. Today it is still the most popular spice in the world, but Black Pepper also has been shown to have many health benefits.
Inside The super Spice
Black Pepper
Straight from the Source
Black Pepper
Black pepper or Piper nigrum is a flowering vine native to the Malabar Coast of India and is cultivated for its fruit known as peppercorn.
History
Evidence of people using black pepper in its native area dates back 4,000 years, and it became an important staple of overland trade between India and Europe. The Venetians virtual monopoly on it helped instigate Columbus’ search for an easter sea route. Today it is still the most popular spice in the world.
Harvest
The plant requires a long rainy season, fairly high temperatures, and partial shade for best growth. The woody climber may reach heights of 33 ft and produces flowers with dense slender spikes of about 50 blossoms each.
Anatomy
Black pepper is produced by briefly cooking the unripe peppercorn in hot water to clean and prepare them for drying. The peppercorn is then dried in the sun for several days which causes the skin to shrink and darken into a thick, wrinkled black layer.
Etymology
The word pepper comes from the Old English word pipor that mean long pepper. In the 16th century, people began using pepper to also means the Capsicum found in the New World.
Black Pepper
Piperine, the main active compound in black pepper has shown to reduce inflammation and act as a natural pain reliever
Historical Uses
Ayurvedic doctors in India used black pepper to treat tooth decay, arthritis, heart disease, as well as many other minor ailments.
Other Potential Benefits of Black Pepper
- Reduce nerve pain
- Soothe itchy skin
- Reduce uneven skin tone
- Reduce arthritis inflammation
Our Black Pepper Source
Bo Tree Farm’s Kampot Pepper is our exclusive source of black pepper