Mistress of spices–black pepper

There’s certainly too much pepper in that soup!’ Alice said to herself, as well as she could for sneezing. – Alice in Wonderland

Do not get fooled by black pepper—your everyday spice and the best buddy of the table salt on the dining table! This spice has a glowing past. In ancient times, it was so valuable that it was often used as currency and was even offered as a sacrifice to gods.

Perking up on pepper

The pepper plant is a member of the nightshade family—the same family from which tomato, potato, eggplant and petunia belong to. The fruit of the pepper plant is an edible herb, though it is the seed—the familiar gnarled black seeds that we have in our kitchens. White pepper is less hot than the black one. Both of them have a distinct character of their own.
Pepper gets its spicy heat mostly from the piperine compound, which is found both in the outer fruit and in the seed. Refined piperine, milligram-for-milligram, is about one per cent as hot as the capsaicin in chile peppers.

Besides spicing up bland dishes, black pepper is an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of iron and a good source of dietary fiber too.

Pepper please

• Black pepper seems to be effective in improving the digestion, probably due to the way in which it stimulates the taste buds. This stimulation of taste buds notifies the stomach to increase its secretion of hydrochloric acid, improving the digestion of food once it reaches the stomach. Insufficient secretion of hydrochloric acid can lead to heartburn, indigestion and other eating problems.
  Moreover, spicing up your dishes with a dash of pepper may earn you relief from embarrassing flatulence too.
• Pepper can help you regain your lost appetite.
• Black pepper has also been shown to have significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties, which are important for fighting disease and maintaining overall good health.
• Pepper can earn you relief from respiratory problems, such as asthma and bronchitis. Suck on peppercorns to soothe a sore throat.
• Dieters can give pepper a try. Traditional wisdom tells us it is a great spice for weight loss, as it helps in the breakdown of your fat cells – giving you more energy and keeping you fit and slim.
• Since pepper is loaded with manganese it can help you fight osteoporosis and help you maintain healthy joints and bones.
• A little salt and pepper in warm water is great for you mouth – gets rid of bad breath, toothaches, bleeding gums and helps maintain good dental hygiene and a treatment for mouth ulcers.

Handy tips

• Pepper loses flavour and aroma through evaporation. Keep pepper in airtight storage to preserve pepper’s original spiciness longer.
• Pepper can also lose flavour when exposed to light. Keep pepper away from light. Get in the habit of crushing peppercorns before adding it in a dish to savour the real peppery taste.

Pepper is just super for achieving great overall health – so spice up your life and food with a little pepper!!.

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