Organic Ground Black Pepper Coarse Grind

Description

Black pepper, botanical name Piper nigrum is from the family Piperaceae and is native to Kerala, a province in southwest India. This grind of pepper is preferred by those that want a bit more texture than the medium or fine grinds provide, but also want a bit less of the flavor explosions that a cracked grind possesses.

Piper Nigrum is a flowering vine that is cultivated for its fruit and when dried the fruit is better known as a peppercorn. ‘Pepper’ is the more ubiquitous name given to both the whole peppercorn and the ground peppercorn.  

Black pepper has a biting heat that is different than the heat you would get from a chile pepper. Peppercorns' heat comes from piperine, and a good quality black peppercorn contains between 4.6% and 9.7% piperine. The fruits outer layer contains both piperine and terpenes (pronounced “tur peans”). Terpenes are what gives pepper its signature citrusy, floral and woody notes. Once ground, pepper’s flavor and aroma dissipate relatively quickly, which is why we grind all of our pepper several times a week to maximize shelf life and provide optimum flavor.

Our coarse grind pepper is considered a 16/20 mesh size.

History and Cultivation

As far back as 1000 BC, southern Arabia traders controlled the spice trade and pepper routes, enjoying an increasingly profitable monopoly.

The first Greek works mentioning pepper were found in Hippocratic gynecological treaties, which date back to the last decades of the 5th century BC and the first 50 years of the 4th century BC.

From 400-1400 AD, powerful spice brokers in Genoa and Venice Italy controlled the pepper market once it reached the Mediterranean. During the middle of the 1400s, Europeans began looking for ways to bypass the various Arab and Italian spice brokers because of the exorbitant prices being charged for this commodity. This led to the spice exploration era of Christopher Columbus, Sir Francis Drake and others. These explorers were commissioned to find more cost effective trade routes to get pepper and other spices into Europe and thereby eliminating the “handling fees” imposed by the existing spice brokers.

With the establishment of alternative trade routes, pepper prices fell; which further increased demand.  This made pepper the most popular spice of the time, which at one point accounted for almost 70% of the total volume of traded spices.

Black, White and Green Peppercorns can all be harvested from the same plant.

Piper Nigrum is a perennial woody climber with dark green leaves and spikes of white flowers. The pepper plant will reach a height of up to 33 feet tall. The vines will have shiny green leaves and small flowers featuring slender spikes with up to 50 dense blossoms each. These berrylike fruits (peppercorns) are about 2/10" in diameter.

The plant thrives in tropical environments and does best in partial shade, with a long rainy season and fairly high temperatures. Propagation is generally done by stem cuttings, which are planted near a tree or pole that the vine will attach itself to. Pepper plants begin bearing fruit in 2 to 5 years, and may produce fruit for up to 40 years.

The berries are harvested when they begin to turn a yellowish red. The harvested berries are submerged in boiling water for approximately 10 minutes and are then spread out to dry in the sun for 3-4 days which causes them to turn dark brownish black in color.

Peppercorns are cultivated in Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam with Vietnam being the world's largest producer of commercially grown peppercorns with 45%-55% of the market. In total volume, pepper has remained the world's most valuable spice (although not the most expensive).

Depending on the time of year, our Organic Black Peppercorns are sourced from India, Indonesia and Vietnam. Our black peppercorns are harvested a bit earlier in the growing process, as this provides a more distinct, sharp flavor.

Where to Use

Good with chicken, eggs, fish, pork, salads, soup, strawberries and tomatoes.

Works well in combination with basil, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary, thyme and turmeric.

Flavor Profile

The flavor is clean, a bit hot and has a biting aftertaste. The aroma is pungent and fruity with warm lemony undertones.

Helpful Hints

We also offer organic ground black pepper in cracked (6-10 mesh), medium (20-30 mesh) and fine (30-60 mesh) grinds.

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