Description:

• A climber that grows to a height or length of 10 m or more
• Once the main stem is established it grows many side shoots to create a bushy column
• Almond-shaped, tapering towards the tip, dark green and shiny above, paler green below, arranged alternately on the stems. Borne in clusters along flowering stalks known as spikes
• 50–150 whitish to yellow-green flowers are produced on a spike
• Round, berry-like, up to 6 mm in diameter, green at first but turning red as they ripen, each containing a single seed. 50–60 fruits are borne on each spike
• Fruits are picked when green and immature to produce green pepper; when fully grown but still green and shiny to produce black pepper; and when slightly riper to produce white pepper (for which the fruits are also soaked to remove the fleshy outer layer)

Uses:

• The fruits of Piper nigrum are used to make black pepper
• This hotly pungent spice is one of the earliest known and most widely used spices in the world today
• It is used as flavouring, particularly for savoury foods, meat dishes, sauces and snack foods
• It is also used as a table condiment.
• Black pepper, white pepper and green peppercorns are all produced from Piper nigrum fruits, but are harvested at different times and are processed differently
• Black pepper is also used to produce pepper oil and oleoresin, which are frequently used in the production of convenience foods and sometimes also for perfumery
• Of lesser importance is the use of preserved immature green pepper or fresh pepper fruits, which are eaten more like a vegetable
• In Ayurvedic medicine, black pepper has been used to aid digestion, improve appetite, treat coughs, colds, breathing and heart problems, colic, diabetes, anaemia and piles
• Stomach ailments such as dyspepsia, flatulence, constipation and diarrhoea are all treated with black pepper, which may be mixed with other substances such as castor oil, cow's urine or ghee

Description:

• A climber that grows to a height or length of 10 m or more
• Once the main stem is established it grows many side shoots to create a bushy column
• Almond-shaped, tapering towards the tip, dark green and shiny above, paler green below, arranged alternately on the stems. Borne in clusters along flowering stalks known as spikes
• 50–150 whitish to yellow-green flowers are produced on a spike
• Round, berry-like, up to 6 mm in diameter, green at first but turning red as they ripen, each containing a single seed. 50–60 fruits are borne on each spike
• Fruits are picked when green and immature to produce green pepper; when fully grown but still green and shiny to produce black pepper; and when slightly riper to produce white pepper (for which the fruits are also soaked to remove the fleshy outer layer)

Uses:

• The fruits of Piper nigrum are used to make black pepper
• This hotly pungent spice is one of the earliest known and most widely used spices in the world today
• It is used as flavouring, particularly for savoury foods, meat dishes, sauces and snack foods
• It is also used as a table condiment.
• Black pepper, white pepper and green peppercorns are all produced from Piper nigrum fruits, but are harvested at different times and are processed differently
• Black pepper is also used to produce pepper oil and oleoresin, which are frequently used in the production of convenience foods and sometimes also for perfumery
• Of lesser importance is the use of preserved immature green pepper or fresh pepper fruits, which are eaten more like a vegetable
• In Ayurvedic medicine, black pepper has been used to aid digestion, improve appetite, treat coughs, colds, breathing and heart problems, colic, diabetes, anaemia and piles
• Stomach ailments such as dyspepsia, flatulence, constipation and diarrhoea are all treated with black pepper, which may be mixed with other substances such as castor oil, cow's urine or ghee