Known as the “king of spices?”, black pepper (Piper nigrum) is the unripe green berries (drupes) of the pepper vine that become black when they are cooked briefly in hot water and dried in the sun — compared to white (or yellow) pepper which is the peeled ripe red berries, and green pepper which is just dried. Originally from Asia and India (the most important source being the ancient Malabar coast in what is now Kerala), today it is a major export from Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil. Its culinary and medicinal uses have been recorded in India since at least 2000 BCE.
Peppercorns were highly valued — often called “black gold” and used as a form of commodity or money. Even today, we have the term “peppercorn rent” — meaning a token payment or a gift. Today, black pepper is the world’s most traded spice with vanilla coming in second and ginger third, according to a 2022 report from World’s Top Exports.
Therapeutic uses Piperine is the main alkaloid in black pepper (Piper nigrum) and it also contains essential oils, terpenes, and other alkaloids such as chavicine and piperidine. These ingredients add up to pepper having carminative, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Pepper also has stimulant properties, mostly evident on the mucous membranes of the rectum and urinary organs.
As a result of these actions, black pepper has a range of medicinal uses. Hepatoprotective Piperine influences enzymatic drug biotransformation reactions in the liver enhancin.