Kerala Black Pepper: The Spice That Put Malabar on the Map
How Kerala pepper travelled the world, and how to taste the difference at home.
For centuries, ships sailed to the Malabar coast for one thing: pepper. Black pepper from Kerala was once so valuable it was counted out peppercorn by peppercorn.
Black, white and green pepper all come from the same vine. Green is picked early and preserved. Black is picked just before ripe and dried in the sun. White is ripe fruit with the outer layer removed.
Tasting at home: grind fresh and smell it. Good pepper smells sharp, woody and a little fruity. Stale pepper smells flat.
Cooking tips: add whole pepper to hot oil early for depth, and add ground pepper at the end for brightness.
Explore Black Pepper, White Pepper, Green Pepper and Mixed Pepper. Ingredient page: Black Pepper.