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Black Pepper, The World's Most Traded Spice

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is the world's most traded spice, often referred to as the ''king of spices.'' It is a flowering vine that belongs to the family Piperaceae. Black pepper is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit of the plant is a drupe (stone fruit) and is about 5mm (0.20in) in diameter. It is native to the Malabar Coast of India, where it is extensively cultivated, along with other tropical regions. Ground, dried, and cooked peppercorns have been used since antiquity, both for flavor and as traditional medicine. It is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. In early historic times, pepper became an important article of overland trade between India and Europe and often served as a medium of exchange; tributes were levied in pepper in ancient Greece and Rome. Its spiciness is due to the chemical compound piperine, which is a different kind of spicy from the capsaicin characteristic of chili peppers. Black pepper is an important healthy food owing to its antioxidant, antimicrobial potential, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and gastro-protective properties. This black pepper spice seeds photo was taken at Tehatta, West Bengal, India on 27/3/2024. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)

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