In this blog, we will delve into the fascinating facts surrounding black pepper (Piper nigrum) – “King of Spices” or “Black Gold” originated from Malabar coast of India and now distributed all over the world.
Black pepper plant is a climber which can cling to the bark of the tree by means of clinging roots so that it can be cultivated by using concrete or PVC poles or wire mesh industrially. This plant is propagated by using mature seeds or stem cutting or by tissue culture. In tissue culture – stem or leaf segment is used in culture lab meant for propagating high yielding, disease resistant varieties in modern agriculture.
Within 2-3 years the plant will start producing flowers in spike (sessile flowers produced on long axis) which can grow upto 30 cms (upto 150 fruits). The fruit is a fleshy drupe with a single seed. When matured, the green colour gradually changes to yellow and red. Harvesting is done during the transition from green to yellow. The fleshy coat and the seed is categorized by the presence of a flavouring agent known as piperine. Chinese prefer to use only the seed part removing the fleshy part by the process of fermentation known as white pepper. After drying the whole pepper, it becomes black in colour and is marketed as black pepper. Vietnam is the top exporter of black pepper in the world. In the middle ages, black pepper was used as currencies and considered it as the simple of wealth and prestige.
Black peppers journey from Malabar coast to all over the world is due to its flavour, aroma and due to numerous health benefits. It helps in digestion, antioxidants, nutritional absorption (Calcium), anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Price variation
Black pepper is available in 100 and 200 gram packages. In UAE, Black pepper is imported from India and Vietnam but it is marketed with different price range. For example, I purchased 200 grams of black pepper from a supermarket for the price of 18.99 Dhs. As it is found expensive, I returned the same item and purchased another brand for the price of 14 Dhs. The same day, I searched the product of 200 gram in another shop in the same locality and found it is available – Black pepper same quality, 200 grams for the price of 6.50 Dhs. Look at the variation in the price. The customer need to be cautious while purchasing this valuable item from the market to avoid cheating by the suppliers.
Butterfly Effect
Butterfly effect is the idea that small events ultimately results in something with large consequences.
The above purchase of black pepper prompted me to return this same item and to search for the variation of price for the same quality and quantity of item from the market that finally led to writing of this blog.