A spice ingredient used in almost all cuisines throughout the world, Black Pepper is an herbaceous climber that comes from the Piperaceae plant family. It originally emerged in China and some parts of Southeast Asia. The word "pepper" comes from the Sanskrit word "pippali" which means long pepper. Its English counterpart is derived from "pipor", an Old English term.
Black Pepper is made from the Piper nigrum fruit berries which are known as peppercorns. The fruits appear greenish and transforms into a deep red when fully matured. The unripe peppercorns are dried, cooked and grounded to make Black Pepper. They are either dried under the sun or roasted in a machine. During the drying process, they turn dark, crumpled and hardened. However, black peppercorns are only edible if they are dried and cooked briefly in hot water to be grounded. They taste spicy.
Typically, Black Pepper is ground or crushed for use in most dishes. But the dried black peppercorn extracts are also used in creating beverages. In fact, Black Pepper spirit is drawn out from the peppercorns to produce the famed Coca-Cola drinks. Black Pepper oil is also applied in medicinal and beauty products.