Pepper black ground

The country of origin of black pepper is India. It began to be grown about 4 thousand years ago. Another name is “Malabar berry”, this is explained by the place of origin, namely the Malabar Islands. But then it was used only for medicinal purposes, crushed pepper powder was added to various potions and powders.

And when people appreciated the taste of pepper, it turned into an extremely popular spice. Having become an object of trade, it very quickly spread around the world and for several thousand years was called “black gold”, as it was very expensive. Which is extremely difficult to imagine now.

The first Europeans to appreciate black pepper were the soldiers of Alexander the Great, who reached India. Then the Roman Empire came to Greece, conquering Egypt and other Arab countries. Then the Visigoths came to the Roman Empire, so pepper ended up in northern Europe. Where in 1180 in London, the “Guild of Pepper Merchants” was created, which exists to this day under the name “The Grocers’ Company”.

You could say that pepper “conquered” this world.

The uniqueness of black pepper is not just that its fruits contain many vitamins, microelements, and healthy oils. But that its final product is a dried fruit, ground into powder. Which, despite being processed and ground, completely retains all the useful elements in itself:

• First of all, it is a wide group of vitamins: B, K, C, E and PP;
• Iron, copper, zinc and calcium;
• Magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium;
• Beta-keratin, folic and pantothenic acids;
• Riboflavin, choline, tocopherol;
• And of course fiber.

How are all these substances that pepper “preserved” for us useful for our body?

✅ Assistant for blood and blood vessels. Dilutes and saturates the blood with useful elements and vitamins. Also strengthens the walls of blood vessels and cleanses them by dissolving cholesterol deposits.

✅ Promotes weight loss. Substances contained in the outer layer are able to break down fat cells, which leads to their processing, and not deposition. And this, in turn, accelerates the process of losing weight, in combination with most programs;

✅ Skin and teeth. Cleanses the skin, treats acne, protects tooth enamel and oral tissue from diseases and infections;

✅ Treatment of colds. Soups and various drinks are used in combination with the treatment of acute respiratory infections and other respiratory infections. Pepper destroys mucus, acts as an expectorant and improves immunity. Due to the natural complex of vitamins contained in it, in particular zinc;

✅ Speeds up digestion. By accelerating metabolism and increasing the production of hydrochloric gastric acid, our body copes much faster with both heavy food and intestinal disorders;

✅ Develops memory. Pepper also contains the element piperine, which stimulates chemical processes in the brain. This helps to avoid or help with cognitive impairment. And as recent studies have shown, even in the fight against Alzheimer’s syndrome.

But we must remember that the beneficial properties can have a “reverse effect” for people with a number of diseases:

• Chronic diseases or temporary disorders of the stomach or intestines;
• People with cystitis;
• If you have oral diseases.

❌ All these measures are due to the fact that the main property of pepper is a positive “irritation” of the internal tissues of a healthy person. But for people with the listed diseases, this can aggravate or cause complications of the above symptoms.

As most manufacturers and culinary gurus advertise this spice: “Unique spicy taste.” But is it really so?

Black pepper has a moderately hot, pleasant taste, with a little bitterness. Being, like salt, a natural flavor enhancer for almost any dish, often even confectionery. That is why it is included in most spice mixes.

If you go to any cooking site and enter the main ingredient “black pepper” in the search for dishes, you will get about a hundred results. Yes, you will never make a separate dish from black pepper, and in its pure form you will most likely not eat more than one pinch. And this is logical – it is a spice.

Only salt can compete with its versatility in cooking as a spice. But if it is used as an enhancer of the active taste of a dish, then pepper changes its taste and gives the dish a pleasant spiciness and earthy flavor. Therefore, we will consider only the basic cases of using this popular spice:

• Cooking soups, stews and braising meat or other products;
• For marinating meat for barbecue or shashlik;
• For making vegetable or meat preparations;
• For making all kinds of snacks: sausage, pate, jellied meat, cheese, jellied meat and various rolls;
• When preparing vegetable salads, especially with the addition of meat or seafood;
• When finalizing minced meat from poultry, animals or fish;
• Perfectly emphasizes the taste of dishes with eggs or mushrooms;
• Added when kneading dough for baking and bread, as well as semi-finished products, such as vareniki or pelmeni;
• For cooking various cereals and grain products, such as rice, buckwheat or pasta;
• And of course, for frying fish or meat.

As you can see, pepper is versatile in its use. But it is important to know a few simple rules for its use, so as not to “spoil” it during the cooking process:

• When frying fish or meat, the carcass should first be rubbed with pepper, and not sprinkled on the surface during cooking;
• Pepper should be added to soups and liquid dishes only at the very end of cooking;
• When preparing dough, minced meat or blanks, pepper should be added exactly at the moment of mixing.

These rules are primarily due to the sensitivity of pepper to temperature. Burnt pepper will spoil the dish, and if it is in boiling water for a long time, it begins to give off a bitter taste. And in both cases it can even become harmful to the body.

It is very important to store pepper correctly and to observe one main condition: it cannot be stored in an open or poorly closed container. When exposed to air, the essential oils of pepper oxidize very quickly, and the pepper loses its taste. Be sure to store it in an airtight bag or container, jar, etc. For expiration dates, follow the manufacturer’s information. Usually it is from 1 to 3 years.

Let’s summarize briefly. Black pepper is a universal seasoning for all types of dishes and even some drinks. It has deservedly borne the title of “King of Spices” for several thousand years. After all, it, as a true “king”, was a faithful companion of all important historical events. Both in the world of discoveries and conquests, and in the development of the culinary world.