Black Pepper is possibly my most favourite of spices & I will never miss an opportunity to add some of this distinctive heat & seasoning to any food. Hence, it was only natural that we should also throw in a little of bit this wonderful spice to our Indian milk chocolate bar.
For as long as spices have been traded, Black Pepper has always been the most highly prized. Demand was once so high that the spice was even referred to as ‘black gold’.
Black Pepper originates from the wonderful Western Ghats in South Western India, which is an expanse of lush green rainforest up in the mountains of Kerala. The pepper grows as berries on vines attached to trees. The berries are then picked before they ripen then left to ferment & dry – a process which turns the berries hard & dark in colour. I was lucky enough to see the spice grow here myself & taste it on some delicious local chicken dishes.
Vasco de Gama & the Portuguese were the first modern European nation to capitalise on the demand for black pepper in the West around the start of the 15th century, just before the Mughals began to take control of India. After numerous battles & political stalemates with the natives, Portugal became the main exporter of Black Pepper back to Europe – breaking the Islamic monopoly on the region’s spice trade whilst establishing their own extensive colonies along the west coast of India. And their influence is still strong there today, especially in places such as Goa & Cochin, where de Gama eventually died.
As control of the spice routes changed hands, Black Pepper began to appear in other parts of the world, including China, Sumatra, Vietnam & Indonesia. This expansion has in turn led to the emergence of all kinds of varieties of Black Pepper. There’s a Penang Black Pepper, which has a bold flavour, a Sarawak Pepper, which is known for it’s unique, winey taste and a Lampong Pepper which has a smoky tone, amongst others. And that’s without mentioning White, Green & Pink Peppers….& here’s a more recent piece focusing on Sichuan Pepper.
