Spice guide / Black pepper
What is Black pepper?
Dried pepper berries; garbled and ungarbled grades appear in Indian market reports.
Short answer: Black pepper (Hindi: काली मिर्च) is Piper nigrum. Pungent, piney, hot-aromatic. Culinary use only — not a medicine.
| Common name | Black pepper |
|---|---|
| Hindi | काली मिर्च |
| Sanskrit | — |
| Botanical name | Piper nigrum |
| Family | Piperaceae |
| Origin | India — Western Ghats / Kerala Malabar coast historically |
| Main producing regions | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Flavour | Pungent, piney, hot-aromatic |
| Aroma | — |
| Forms | whole, crushed, powder |
| Retail packs | 100g–5kg (typical; see products) |
| Bulk | 10kg+ |
What is Black pepper?
Black pepper is the dried berry of Piper nigrum. Kerala Malabar pepper is a recognised origin story. Market reports often split garbled and ungarbled pepper, which is why a single generic “pepper price” is insufficient.
History of Black pepper
Origin
India — Western Ghats / Kerala Malabar coast historically — Kerala, Karnataka
Growing regions
Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
How it is grown
Harvest
Processing
Grades
- Standard: Admin-configured commercial grade
- Premium: Admin-configured higher visual/purity selection
- Export Grade: Only show when export specifications exist for the lot
- Machine Cleaned: Machine cleaned — confirm process for the lot
Only grades that apply to a lot should be shown at purchase. These are templates, not invented industry certificates.
Flavour, aroma and colour
Pungent, piney, hot-aromatic. . Colour: . Heat: medium.
Culinary uses
- Curry
- Meat
- Garam masala
- Rasam
Traditional uses
Recorded in culinary tradition. Traditional use is not scientific evidence of a medical effect.
SpicyCenter does not claim that spices cure, treat or prevent disease.
Storage and shelf life
Nutrition
Nutrition declaration is pack-specific and must be completed before UK/EU sale.
Buying guide
Retail packs typically run from 100g to 5kg. Bulk starts at 10kg. Selling prices are checkout prices. Indian market figures, when present, are indicative only.
Indicative Indian market price
No dated market print has been imported yet. Admin must enter min/max/average with market, grade, date and source.
Indicative Indian market prices must be imported or entered with date, market, grade and source. Empty values are intentional so the site does not fabricate today's rates.
Market prices →