The real pepper (Piper nigrum) comes from the coasts of Southwest India and is at home in the tropics. The climbing plant comes from the pepper family (Piperaceae), which contains about 1000 different species. However, only real pepper is of interest for the production of spice pepper. There are also a number of plants that also bear the name "pepper", but are not related to the actual pepper.
real pepper
Black, green, red or white pepper - there seem to be many different types of pepper available on the market. However, these are not different species, as is often assumed, but simply different degrees of ripeness and preparation methods of the real pepper fruits.
Black pepper - probably the most popular variety - is harvested just before it is ripe. Then the fruits have taken on a yellow-orange colour. Only when they dry in the sun do the peppercorns take on the black color that gives them their name and also become wrinkled.
The green pepper is also harvested when it is unripe. However, the peppercorns, which are still fresh, are placed in brine immediately, which means that they retain their beautiful green color and are preserved. another method involves preservation for freeze drying.
White pepper is made from fully ripe, i. H. rich red peppercorns. The light color is created by peeling the fruit, after which only the inside is dried. White pepper is much milder than black.
The quite rare red pepper also comes from ripe fruits, although these are not peeled. These peppercorns are also often pickled in brine.
Other types of "pepper"
In addition to the listed varieties of real pepper, a number of other plants also bear this name, even if they basically have nothing to do with real pepper and some of them don't even belong to the same plant family. Nevertheless, these are not just delicious spices, but also interesting plants for the hobby gardener.
Pepper plants of the genus "Piper"
The so-called long pepper (Piper longum) also comes from India and is used in a similar way to black pepper. This type of pepper was also the first to reach Europe and was very popular for several centuries. Cubeb pepper or tail pepper (Piper cubeba) was also the preferred variety of pepper in Europe for a long time - until the Portuguese king banned its sale because he wanted to promote the profitable black pepper. The species comes from the Indonesian island of Java.
Pepper plants of the genus "Capsicum"
These are exclusively the different varieties of paprika or chili, which was formerly also referred to as "Spanish pepper" due to its sharpness. The Spanish conquerors brought the plants from the New World to Europe, where they quickly became very popular.
Other types of pepper
Pepper mixtures (“colorful pepper”) often contain pink peppercorns. These come from the Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), a sumac plant up to nine meters high. Allspice (Pimenta dioica), also known as allspice, also comes from the New World, although it is actually a myrtle family. Szechuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) or Chinese pepper or anise pepper belongs to the large citrus family. It is ideal for growing bonsai, otherwise its seed pods are mainly used as a spice in Chinese cuisine.
tips and tricks
In Germany, real pepper can only be grown in greenhouses or appropriately heated conservatories. Plants of the Capsicum species as well as the Brazilian pepper make significantly lower demands in terms of keeping conditions and care.
IJA