Spices & seasonings · Whole spices

Long pepper (pippali)

Small catkins of tiny fused berries, hotter and sweeter than black pepper; India's older pepper.

Also called: pippali, pipli, pipal, indian long pepper, thippili, cabe jawa

Around the world: पिप्पली, पीपली (hi) · திப்பிலி (ta)

A kind of spices

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

What it is

Long pepper (pippali) is the dried fruiting spike of Piper longum, a relative of black pepper. Each piece is a grey-black, finger-shaped cone 2–4 cm long, made of tiny fused berries. It is hotter than black pepper and has a sweet, warm, slightly resinous edge. Today it is used mostly in some meat-spice blends, pickles and Ayurvedic preparations.

Piper longum

How it’s used

Ground into nihari and other meat masalas
Pickles and some regional curries
Ground over food in place of black pepper

Characteristics

Taste: Hot, sweet and lingering.
Aroma: Warm, woody and faintly floral.
When cooked: Hard: break it in a mortar before grinding.
Sold as: whole, ground
Cooking uses: Mainly a seasoning
Common in: Indian, Pakistani, Nepalese, Indonesian

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Airtight jar; keeps well whole for over a year.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy: 251 kcal
Protein: 10.39 g
Carbohydrate: 63.95 g
Fat: 3.26 g
Fibre: 25.3 g
Sugars: 0.64 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, pepper, black (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

Black peppercorns — Use a little more; less heat and sweetness.

Related ingredients

Recipes with long pepper (pippali)

No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.

More whole spices