Long pepper (Piper longum), sometimes called Indian long pepper orpippali, is afloweringvine in the familyPiperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as aspice andseasoning. Long pepper has a taste similar to, but sweeter and more pungent than, that of its close relativePiper nigrum – from which black, green and white pepper are obtained.
The fruit of the pepper consists of many minuscule fruits – each about the size of apoppy seed – embedded in the surface of a flower spike that closely resembles ahazel treecatkin. LikePiper nigrum, the fruits contain the compoundpiperine, which contributes to their pungency. Another species of long pepper,Piper retrofractum, is native toJava,Indonesia. The fruits of this plant are often confused with chili peppers, which belong to the genusCapsicum, originally from the Americas.
The oldest known reference to long pepper comes from ancient Indian textbooks ofAyurveda, where its medicinal and dietary uses are described in detail. It reachedGreece in the sixth or fifth century BCE, thoughHippocrates discussed it as a medicament rather than a spice.[1] Among the Greeks andRomans and prior to theColumbian exchange, long pepper was an important and well-knownspice.
The ancient history of long pepper is often interlinked with that of black pepper (Piper nigrum).Theophrastus distinguished the two inhis work of botany.[2] The Romans knew of both but their word for pepper usually meant black pepper.[2]: 8 Pliny erroneously believed dried black pepper and long pepper came from the same plant.[2]
Round, or black, pepper began to compete with long pepper in Europe from the twelfth century and had displaced it by the fourteenth.[1] The quest for cheaper and more dependable sources of black pepper fueled theAge of Discovery.
After the discovery of the American continents and ofchili pepper, called by the Spanishpimiento, employing their word for long pepper, the popularity of long pepper faded away.[3] Chili peppers, some of which, when dried, are similar in shape and taste to long pepper,[1]: 492 were easier to grow in a variety of locations more convenient to Europe. Today, long pepper is a rarity in general commerce.
The wordpepper itself is derived from the word for long pepper, Tamil wordpippali.[4][5] The plant itself is a native of India. The wordpepper inbell pepper, referring to completely different plants under genusCapsicum, is of the same etymology. That usage began in the 16th century.[6]
A pippali fruit hanging from vineDried long pepper catkinsGanthoda, the root of long pepper
Though often used in medieval times in spice mixes like "strong powder", long pepper is today a very rare ingredient in European cuisines, but it can still be found inIndian and Nepalese vegetablepickles, someNorth African spice mixtures, and inIndonesian andMalaysian cooking. It is readily available at Indian grocery stores, where it is usually labeledpippali. Pippali is the main spice ofnihari, a popular meat stew from India, originating in the Indian metropolis ofLucknow, and one of the national dishes ofPakistan.
^abcToussaint-Samat, Maguelonne (2009) [1992].The History of Food. Translated by Bell, Anthea (revised ed.). Blackwell. p. 491.ISBN978-0631177418 – via Internet Archive.
^Kim, K. S.; Kim, J. A.; Eom, S. Y.; Lee, S. H.; Min, K. R.; Kim, Y. (February 2006). "Inhibitory effect of piperlonguminine on melanin production in melanoma B16 cell line by downregulation of tyrosinase expression".Pigment Cell Research.19 (1):90–8.doi:10.1111/j.1600-0749.2005.00281.x.PMID16420250.
^Lee, W.; Yoo, H.; Kim, J. A.; Lee, S.; Jee, J. G.; Lee, M. Y.; Lee, Y. M.; Bae, J. S. (2013). "Barrier protective effects of piperlonguminine in LPS-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo".Food and Chemical Toxicology.58:149–57.doi:10.1016/j.fct.2013.04.027.PMID23619565.
