At one point, it looked as though a few fists were going to settle the argument. Men were almost chest to chest, yelling at each other. The shouting reached its peak within seconds of one man calling out numbers; and then just like that, a price was settled on and everyone relaxed until the next round.
Pepper does that to people. Or here it does anyway, on the trading floor of the Pepper Exchange, where brokers bid on futures of what they refer to as the “king of spices.” In some ways, the din here in the heart of India’s spice capital, is like that in the commercial centers of New York or Chicago or Tokyo. (Except that in this room, everyone who enters must take off their shoes, and many of the brokers wear mundu, the long, white sarong-style cloths, instead of pants.) But instead of technology stocks or treasury bonds, it is black pepper, the Piper nigrum so common in every kitchen that causes some of the most feverish bidding in Cochin.
Black pepper comes from India, after all, most specifically from this part of the country, the spice-rich southwestern state of Kerala. Pepper futures may not make headlines everywhere in the world, but they are essential to the local economy.
It’s easier for the rest of us to take pepper for granted. Even now, when pepper’s constant companion, salt, has been granted loftier culinary credentials, pepper is still playing Cinderella. Inexpensive and widely available, pepper is just there all the time, no more mysterious when sprinkled around than a face full of freckles.
But what the people who trade in pepper know is that pepper has a far more interesting identity. Most of them have seen the plant before it gets crushed into dust, that farewell flourish with a pepper grinder. The average cook is introduced to pepper at the end of its journey to the table and by then, the spice has been completely transformed.
In Kerala, in the growing areas miles away from this noisy port city, pepper first makes an appearance as a delicate berry. Grapelike clusters of the tiny fruit dangle from sturdy vines, their taut green skins giving no hint of the charred appearance they will take later on.
Humid air keeps the pepper and its glossy leaves moist. The vines get support from their placement against the trunks of trees–anything from coconut to jackfruit–and poles that help the plant grow to a height of 12 feet.
By the time the pepper is ready for the harvest, from January to March, the spreading vines have formed leafy blankets around their hosts until the trees resemble bushes.
About 42,000 tons of pepper are harvested here each year, and 13,395 tons of that is exported to the U.S. It all comes from the hundreds of small farms that dot the lush countryside. They are linked by alarmingly winding roads, villages as small as a half-dozen buildings and a network of brightly painted public buses.
The people who cultivate one of the world’s most popular spices don’t base their livelihood on pepper alone. It is only one of a variety of crops they raise, according to Sibi K. Thomas. As the deputy general manager of procurement for AVT McCormick Ingredients Ltd., an international spice processor in Cochin, Thomas is familiar with the life of the farmers, who he says make about $2,100 a year.
“They do it in hopes of balancing the fluctuating prices of different crops,” Thomas says, pointing out plots of cardamom, vanilla and banana trees at a farm along the road near Kattappana, in western Kerala. Coconut and coffee are other cash crops, along with nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. This region produces 52 kinds of spices that thrive in the varied terrain and climate of mountain ranges, coastal lowlands, lakes and rainforest.
But pepper is king here, partly because it is the most durable. Once dried, it remains almost impervious to rot, Thomas says, and will last for years. A supply of pepper becomes a spicy stock option held, ideally, until the price goes sky high.
“The farmers always keep some (dried) pepper stored under the bed as security,” Thomas says. “Other crops would be sold immediately, but the pepper they will hold on to because it will never go bad. It won’t get infested. If it gets some mold, they wash it off and dry it again and the pepper is just as good as before.”
It is still takes time and hard work to get those future earnings packed away. The vines take up to 4 years to come into full production, according to the American Spice Trade Association. The pepper clusters, with about 50 berries protruding from tiny spikes, are picked by hand, rolled and threshed by hand–or even foot–to separate the berries from their stems, and placed in the sun to dry into the familiar wrinkled black pellets. The drying pepper must be frequently raked to circulate air, and defective berries and impurities are winnowed out.
When it comes to trading pepper, flavor isn’t the real consideration because all of the Indian black pepper, regardless of size, has the same flavor. Malabar pepper, as it’s called, has a high piperine content, the alkaloid that gives it its bite.
What buyers look for are the different sizes, or grades, of peppercorns. The largest, called Tellicherry Garbled Special Extra-Bold peppercorns, for instance, have a diameter of at least 4.75 millimeters. (“Garbled” just indicates a mixture from various areas.) Those berries are usually destined for decorative spice blends in which looks are important. The smallest grade, Malabar Garbled I, makes up 90 percent of what the U.S. imports, because most of our pepper is crushed and ground straightaway into prepared foods, flavoring mixes and other commercial products. Grinding the spice releases the potent volatile oils contained within the berry, and much of that aroma and flavor is lost if the ground pepper isn’t eaten immediately. Yet most Americans use only the preground spice that may have been stored for months.
Cookbook author Maya Kaimal, raised in suburban Boston, says it took a trip to her family’s native Kerala to understand the power of pepper.
“One thing I saw cooks do was to use pepper to season cooking oil, so that it actually spices up the oil that you cook the rest of the dish in,” she says. “You get this great burst of heat. It really made me stop and take notice of this ingredient. Now I find myself grinding my own pepper to really release the volatile oils. There is something more powerful that comes from mashing peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, that makes the flavor brighter and stronger.”
Kaimal also is intrigued by pepper’s past–the way it transformed southern India by bringing foreign traders to the coast.
Arab merchants involved in the spice trade were a frequent presence in southern India, as were traders from the Mongol court of Kublai Khan, who introduced the giant, shore-based fishing nets, raised by levers, that are still used in Cochin today.
Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, looking to establish spice trade routes for his country, died in Cochin in 1524 and was buried in the St. Francis church until his remains were returned to Europe 14 years later.
“Here is this spice that we so take for granted, that has become so ordinary, yet there is this amazing history attached to it,” Kaimal said.
The history extends as far back as ancient Greece and Egypt. The Romans were so enamored of black pepper and its cousin, the podlike Indian long pepper, that 1st Century writer Pliny the Elder was driven to irritation, as quoted in Andrew Dalby’s “Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices”:
” ‘Why do we like it so much? Some foods attract by sweetness, some by their appearance, but neither the pod nor the berry of pepper has anything to be said for it. We only want it for its bite–and we will go to India to get it! Who was the first to try it with food? Who was so anxious to develop an appetite that hunger would not do the trick? Pepper and ginger both grow wild in their native countries, and yet we value them in terms of gold and silver.’ “
Pepper also was long considered to have wide-ranging medicinal value, as an antidote for poison, as a digestive and as a cure for impotence.
Although most cooks and diners reach for black pepper merely to add heat to food, a careful tasting of freshly cracked pepper reveals subtler characteristics.
Black pepper enthusiasts commonly describe the spice as having a fruity bouquet. Cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey calls the aroma “lemony,” while Julie Sahni, in her book “Savoring Spices and Herbs,” deems it “reminiscent of cloves with undertones of lemon and moss.”
For those who have taken a second look at plain old pepper, it’s like falling in love with an old friend.
“I was astounded by pepper’s sensuality,” food writer Michele Anna Jordan said from her home in Sonoma, Calif. She explored the topic in her book “Salt & Pepper” after a trip to the pepper-producing areas of Malaysia.
“You can make the argument that pepper makes you feel good,” Jordan said. “It makes you hungry. It releases your digestive juices. It’s warming.”
Black pepper ran into serious competition for people’s affections, though, when chili peppers were brought from the Americas and introduced around the world. Those peppers, with their fiery flesh and even more searing seeds, are the hot stuff of choice in many countries, including India.
“Black pepper is not really the central ingredient anymore in the cuisine in Kerala because it was so eclipsed by chili peppers,” Boston author Kaimal says. “It’s now more of a background spice.”
It’s the same story in the U.S., where people are more likely to up-end a bottle of Tabasco to seriously heat up their meal than to cover it with black pepper.
But if black pepper doesn’t have quite the flash of a habanero, that also is why it works with just about everything.
Jordan, searching for the best way to describe pepper, said, “It’s hard to break down flavor, but musically, it is like adding another instrument to a chamber quartet. It is not a spice you can get tired of,” she said. “If you put cinnamon in everything you would get tired of it. Pepper will remain pepper but it will flavor ingredients in a complementary way.”
Pepper plays well with others. We knew it was a good companion to have around.
Cracking the pepper code
Black peppercorns
Black peppercorns are produced when fresh, green pepper berries are picked and dried. Heat and light shrivel the berries into the familiar black pods. Whole black pepper will keep indefinitely in a cool, dry place away from strong light and not ground until ready to use.
Pepper varieties are classified by where they are grown. Here are some of the main black pepper types.
Malabar: This pepper gets its name from the Malabar Coast of India, which has been a major pepper trading and shipping area for centuries. Before World War II, the pepper also was known as Alleppey, named for a port city. Malabar pepper has a fruity aroma and sharp flavor. Tellicherry pepper (named for a town on the coast) is the largest Malabar pepper.
Lampong: Indonesian pepper with flavor similar to Malabar, but the berries are smaller and have a whiter core, which makes the pepper appear lighter when ground.
Sarawak: Malaysian pepper from the northwestern coast of Borneo. Most of this pepper is sold in Asia.
Brazilian: Much of the pepper from Brazil is grown in the state of Para along the Amazon River. The pepper, which has a smoother, very black outer skin, is one of the major varieties imported into the U.S.
Green peppercorns
Picked just before they ripen, green peppercorns are preserved in liquid, such as vinegar or brine, or by freeze-drying or dehydration. Green peppercorns have a fresher, milder flavor than black pepper.
White peppercorns
The core of each peppercorn is white; that’s why ground black pepper has white flecks in it. For white pepper, the berries are allowed to mature on the vine, then soaked in running water to loosen the outer green skin. The water essentially rots the skin until it can be removed; this gives white pepper a fermented, almost winelike, mild flavor. Its color makes white pepper a good choice for cream sauces and other light foods where black pepper would add too much contrast. Most white pepper comes from Indonesia.
Pink peppercorns
These are not a member of the pepper family, but come from a different plant, usually cultivated in Madagascar. These pink berries are used for their decorative color and somewhat fruity flavor. The pink peppercorns are often packed along with black, green and white peppercorns to add color.
Some true pepper plants will develop reddish berries if they ripen too long.
Szechwan peppercorns
Again, these are no relation to black pepper. These aromatic pods come from the prickly ash tree and are native to China, where they are used to add heat to the spicy food of the Szechwan region.
— Kristin Eddy
Source: American Spice Trade Association
You call that pepper?
Blame it on the Europeans for the profusion of pepper name-calling. Explorers such as Columbus were on the lookout for a source of black pepper they could monopolize when they headed west. What the New World had to offer, though, was the native capsicum, which Columbus dubbed “red pepper.”
But capsicums, which have a fleshy, soft shell filled with seeds–as in sweet bell peppers and hot chili peppers–are no relation to the berry clusters of black pepper (Piper nigrum), which are native to India.
Once capsicums were introduced to the rest of the world, though, they quickly became a staple in many cuisines.
— K.E.
Grinding help
As with all spices, it is best to use pepper after it has been freshly ground. Here are some new grinders that will do the job well.
OXO Grind It: The grip-friendly equipment company has just introduced a whole series of grinders that come already filled with spices, including black and white peppercorns and a colored peppercorn blend. The Grind It should be available in June at Linens ‘N Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond stores, as well as the Freehling Pot & Pan Co., 1365 E. 53rd St., or through the Internet at Cooking.com and Amazon.com.
Peugeot Pocket Pepper Mill: The Peugeot line of pepper mills is well-known for its precision grinding mechanism and lifetime guarantee. The pepper-obsessed will be interested in this newest addition to the collection, a portable, 4-inch, brushed stainless-steel model that retails for about $40. The mill is available at Edward Don & Co., 2525 N. Elston Ave., and Persimmon Tree in Geneva.
— K.E.
Spices and spoiled food
One of the longest-held and most frequent claims for the popularity of spices in the Middle Ages is that they were used to disguise the taste of spoiled food.
But culinary historians have begun to dispute that idea.
“For one thing,” author Clifford A. Wright said recently, “there wasn’t that much rotten meat.” Animals were killed and consumed close to home, and there were less-expensive ways to preserve food, such as salting, drying and smoking.
“It is well-known that the rich–those who could afford spices–ate the freshest meat, meat butchered to order daily, including freshly caught game,” he writes in “A Mediterranean Feast.”
“Europeans, in part awed by the superior culture of the Arabs where spice use was prevalent, delighted in spices because they enhanced the taste of food, not simply made bad food palatable.”
The authors of “Food: A Culinary History,” agree: “If anyone did eat preserved meat or meat that had gone bad, it wasn’t the wealthy nobles, who consumed spices, but the hapless poor, who couldn’t afford such luxuries. If medieval gastronomy is to be criticized, it has to be for consuming meat that was insufficiently aged, rather than rotten.”
— K.E.
Spice sources
Indian markets are an excellent source for whole spices as well as many other ingredients that are essential in Indian cooking. Some local stores:
Jai Hind: 2658 W. Devon Ave., 773-973-3400
Patel Brothers: 2610 W. Devon Ave., 773-262-7777
Suchir: 661 N. Cass Ave., Westmont, 630-920-0115
J.K. Grocers: 2552 W. Devon Ave., 773-262-7600
— K.E.
Black pepper dosa
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 24 hours
Cooking time: 5 minutes per dosa
Yield: 8 dosas
The cuisine of India is full of wonderful breads, as in this recipe, adapted from “The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking,” for the pancakelike dosa. Serve dosa with stews or chutneys and let them soak up any flavorful liquid. Coarse rice flour, urud dal flour (from a variety of dried bean), asafetida powder (a flavoring that resembles shallots) and ghee (clarified butter) are available at Indian markets.
1 1/2 cups coarse rice flour
2/3 cup urud dal flour
2 1/3 cups warm (100 degrees) water
2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon asafetida powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted, see note
5 tablespoons melted ghee, coconut or vegetable oil
1. Whisk together rice and urud dal flours with water in non-aluminum bowl until smooth. Cover; set in warm place 24 hours. Batter will expand in volume and appear frothy with slightly fermented smell.
2. Stir in self-rising flour, salt, asafetida powder, pepper and cumin. If necessary, add more water to make batter consistency similar to a thick pancake batter.
3. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Grease skillet with 1 teaspoon of the ghee. Ladle 1/2 cup batter into skillet. Allow batter to sit a few seconds. Use back of ladle or round-bottomed spoon to shape batter into thin, 6-inch pancake. Drizzle 1 teaspoon ghee over surface; cover, cook about 3 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and small holes appear on top. Loosen edges; turn. Cook, uncovered, about 2 minutes. Slide out onto oven-proof plate. Keep warm in oven while preparing remaining dosas.
Note: To toast cumin, place in small skillet; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Nutrition information per dosa:
185 calories, 37% calories from fat, 8 g fat, 4.6 g saturated fat, 19 mg cholesterol, 510 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g protein
Spiced vegetable coconut stew
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This spicy stew, or ishdoo, is typical of the cooking of southern India because of its use of coconut milk, spices and lots of vegetables. The recipe is adapted from one by Lakshmi Nair, a native of Kerala now living in Bombay. The curry leaf is from an Asian plant and is readily available in Chicago’s Indian markets, as are whole cardamom pods. The stew can be served on its own or with black pepper dosas.
6 small new potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
5 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 piece (2 inches) ginger root, minced
1 small serrano chili, minced
6 whole green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups coconut milk
10 fresh curry leaves
1/2 cup fresh or frozen sweet peas
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Black pepper dosa, see recipe
1. Place potatoes and salt in large saucepan; cover with water. Heat to boil; cook 4 minutes. Add carrots; cook 2 minutes. Add green beans and cauliflower. Cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger and chili; cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves; cook 2 minutes. Add potatoes, green beans, carrots and cauliflower; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, curry leaves, peas, pepper and salt; cook 7 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Spoon onto black pepper dosa to serve.
Nutrition information per serving (without dosa):
385 calories, 69% calories from fat, 31 g fat, 22 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein
Cracked pepper rib-eye steak with roasted onion sauce
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 8 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Red meat has a natural affinity for the bold seasoning of black pepper. The peppery coating given to rib-eye steaks in this recipe from the “Steak Lover’s Cookbook,” by Tribune food and wine columnist William Rice, pairs nicely with a deeply flavored puree of roasted onions.
1 medium sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
4 rib-eye steaks, 3/4-inch thick
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place onion wedges in baking dish. Drizzle with oil and salt; stir to coat pieces evenly. Roast until onions are browned and soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Puree onions in blender with broth and soy sauce. Place in small saucepan; set aside.
2. Heat grill or broiler to high. Oil grill grate. Press pepper onto both sides of each steak. Grill until seared and browned, 4-6 minutes on each side for medium. Meanwhile, heat onion sauce until warm. To serve, spoon sauce over each steak to serve.
Nutrition information per serving:
380 calories, 47% calories from fat, 20 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 45 g protein
Peppery pineapple rings with rum and ginger
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
“Salt & Pepper” author Michele Anna Jordan says white pepper “marries really beautifully with sweet flavors. It also goes well with the rich taste of ginger.” White pepper adds warmth to the sweetness of this dessert. Feel free to increase the amount of pepper. Developed in the Tribune test kitchen.
1/4 each: light rum, water
1 small fresh, ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, sliced into rings
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Vanilla ice cream
1. Pour rum and water into a saucepan over medium heat; add the pineapple rings. Cover; cook until the pineapple is soft and warmed through, 3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ginger until soft, 1 minute. Stir in the brown sugar just until it dissolves.
3. Add the pineapple rings and any remaining liquid to the pan. Sprinkle the pineapple with the pepper; stir, tossing the pineapple rings, until coated. Cook 1 minute. Serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition information per serving (without ice cream):
90 calories, 59% calories from fat, 6 g fat, 3.6 g saturated fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 0.2 g protein
