Spice Collection
Black Pepper, a Spark of Global Trade
Spice of legend
Black pepper comes from Malabar in India, and people have seasoned their food with it for 4000 years. Like tea, you can prepare the seed of this woody vine in many ways like black, green, and white. First, farmers pick the peppercorns when green, briefly cook, and then dry them.
Find pepper paired with salt in typical American cuisine. Its spiciness comes from the active compound piperine — a distinct flavor from capsaicin in a chili. Europeans first developed a taste for it, becoming the sparks of global trade between Europe and Asia.
Nomenclature: Piper nigrum
Tastes: Earthy, woody, piney, brash
Uses: Season savory and sweet food, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, Ayurveda
Recipe: Peppered Fruit (GF/V)
Grind fresh black pepper once or twice over some fruit like strawberries or peaches for a kick.
