Content
- Pepper - Origin and distribution
- Characteristics and appearance
- Pepper is native to India
- Tips & Tricks
Pepper - Origin and distribution
Even 500 years ago, pepper was a sought-after commodity - the precious spice was brought by merchants to Europe and outweighed with gold. The old swear word "pepper sack" denotes traders who have become rich through the spice trade.
Characteristics and appearance
The real pepper, also referred to as black pepper or pepper bush, is a greenhouse of the family Piperaceae. The genus pepper includes about 1000 different species, all of which are native to the tropics. Piper nigrum, the botanical name of the traditional pepper, is a climbing organ up to ten meters high. Similar to ivy, the woody shrub of native forest trees grows high, but is kept at a height of only three to four meters in commercial cultivation. The ball-shaped drupes are used, which, like currants, grow in panicles of up to 150 berries each. The plant is - typical of a tropical plant - evergreen and bears flowers and fruits throughout the year, but is usually harvested only twice a year. A single pepper bush can be harvested for up to 30 years, with the maximum annual yield being about four kilograms per plant.
Pepper is native to India
The home of pepper is the Indian Malabar Coast between Mangalore and Cape Komorin on the Arabian Sea in southwestern India. The very rainy region is also known as pepper coast. Already about 1000 years ago the pepper reached Southeast Asia in the areas of today's states Malaysia and Indonesia. About dealers, the spice was already brought to Europe in ancient times. Today India, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as Vietnam and Brazil are among the main producing countries. The pepper bush is often cultivated in mixed cultures with bananas or coffee. Since it is a tropical plant that needs high humidity and plenty of heat throughout the year, cultivating it in Germany is only possible in heated greenhouses or conservatories.
Tips & Tricks
When Christopher Columbus set out to find a sea lane to India, he discovered America instead. From there, the European conquerors brought the Spanish pepper - the chili. Chili or paprika can be planted much easier than the real pepper in the home garden.
IJA