Malabar pepper facts for kids
Malabar pepper is a special kind of black pepper. It first grew by chance in a part of India called Kerala. Imagine a plant just popping up on its own!
Today, this unique pepper grows all along the Malabar Coast in India. Long ago, traders from ancient Rome and Arab lands loved Malabar pepper. Later, European explorers also sought it out. It was a very important spice for trade around the world!
Contents
What is Malabar Pepper?
Malabar pepper comes in two main types: garbled and ungarbled.
Garbled Pepper
- This type is usually black.
- It looks almost round.
- It has a wrinkly surface.
Ungarbled Pepper
- This type also has a wrinkly surface.
- Its color can be dark brown or black.
The Pepper Plant
Malabar pepper comes from a plant called Piper nigrum. This plant is a climbing vine. It belongs to the Piperaceae family. People grow it for its fruit. This fruit is usually dried and used as a spice. It adds amazing flavor to food!
The Peppercorn Fruit
The fruit of the pepper plant is called a peppercorn. When it's dried, it's about five millimeters wide. That's about the size of a small pea! When the fruit is fully ripe, it turns a dark red color. Each peppercorn has one seed inside.
Special Recognition
"Malabar pepper" has a very special status. It has been officially registered under a law called the Geographical Indications of Goods Act. This means that only pepper grown in the Malabar region can be called "Malabar pepper." It's like a special label that shows where it comes from!
The Spices Board, which is part of the Government of India, applied for this registration. This helps protect the name and quality of Malabar pepper.
Other Special Indian Spices
Many other spices from India also have this special "Geographical Indication" recognition. This means they are famous for coming from a specific place in India. Here are a few examples:
- Alleppey Green Cardamom
- Coorg Green Cardamom
- Naga Mircha (a type of chilli)
- Guntur Sannam Chilli
- Byadagi chilli
- Sikkim Large Cardamom
- Mizo Chilli
- Assam Karbi Anglong Ginger
