Black Pepper

Pepper, also known as the Ancient Moon, Black Moon Crescent, or white-lunar crescent, refers to the nearly ripe fruit of the drying or dried pepper plant. It has been used as a valuable ingredient for centuries. Pepper trees are grown in various provinces such as Chau Doc, Ha Tien, Ba Ria, and Quang Tri, as well as in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Cambodia, and Hainan Island (China).

Pepper is a climbing plant with a long, smooth body that attaches to other plants using its roots. The plant bears leaves resembling betel leaves but longer and more elongated.

It has two types of branches: fruit-bearing branches and nutrient branches, both originating from the interstitial region. The plant produces cluster-like flowers resembling squirrels, and when ripe, the entire cluster falls.

The fruit itself is small, with around 20-30 fruits per cluster. Initially green, they turn yellow, and finally red when fully ripe. Different types of pepper, such as white pepper, red pepper, green pepper, and black pepper, can be obtained from these fruits.

Pepper is not only a culinary spice but also a rich source of vitamin C, surpassing even tomatoes. A half cup of green, yellow, or red pepper provides up to 230% of the daily calcium requirement for one person. It contains essential oils (1.2-2%), piperine (5-9%), and chavicine (2.2-6%), which contribute to its spicy taste. Pepper also contains 8% fat, 36% starch, and 4% ash.

In traditional medicine, pepper is believed to have a spicy and heating effect, stimulating digestion, warming the abdomen, relieving pain, and acting as an antiemetic. Black pepper is used to treat colds by promoting sweating, dispelling cold air, and increasing internal heat. White pepper, on the other hand, is commonly used to address diarrhea, cholera, and has bactericidal properties.

Pepper has been used in various medicinal preparations in different cultures. In China, it is made into a paste to treat paralysis, while Indians use it to boost health after fever and prevent malaria.

Indonesian pepper is incorporated into tonics and painkillers for postpartum women, and in Nepal, it is combined with other ingredients to address colds, flu, indigestion, and arthritis.

Apart from its medicinal applications, pepper is widely used as a spice in cooking. Whether shredded or used as whole fruit, it adds an attractive and rounded flavor to dishes. The dried black pepper is commonly referred to as black pepper, while soaking it in water for a few days turns the dried skin white, resulting in white pepper (skull pepper).