black pepper
Quick Summary
Black pepper is a spice derived from the dried fruit of the Piper nigrum vine, native to India's Malabar Coast. This perennial climbing vine produces small fruits, often called peppercorns, which are about 5 mm in diameter.1
The characteristic hot and pungent flavor of black pepper comes primarily from the chemical compound piperine. Historically, pepper was a valuable commodity, used as a spice and even as a medium of exchange in ancient Greece and Rome. It is widely cultivated in tropical regions and used globally in cooking. Pepper also has limited medicinal uses as a carminative and stimulant for gastric secretions.12
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