Black pepper
Black Pepper
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately 5 millimeters in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed. Peppercorns, and the powdered pepper derived from grinding them, may be described as black pepper, white pepper, red/pink pepper, green pepper, and, more rarely, as brown pepper.
Pronunciation
Black Pepper: /blæk ˈpɛpər/
Etymology
The word "pepper" is derived from the Old English pipor and from Latin piper, which is the source of the Italian pepe, French poivre, Dutch peper, German Pfeffer, and other similar forms. In the 16th century, pepper started referring to the unrelated New World chili pepper as well. "Pepper" was used in a figurative sense to mean "spirit" or "energy" at least as far back as the 1840s; in the early 20th century, this was shortened to "pep".
Related Terms
- Peppercorn: The dried fruit of Black pepper.
- Piperine: The alkaloid responsible for the pungency of black pepper.
- White pepper: A type of pepper made from the fully ripe fruit of the plant.
- Green pepper: A type of pepper made from the unripe fruit of the plant.
- Red pepper: A type of pepper made from the fully ripe fruit of the plant.
- Piperaceae: The family to which Black pepper belongs.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Black pepper
- Wikipedia's article - Black pepper
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