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Ground spices

Black pepper

Piper nigrum

Ground dried pepper berries: the world's most common hot, aromatic spice, used to finish almost anything.

Also called: pepper, ground black pepper, kali mirch, karabiber

  • Hot & numbing
  • Warm & sweet
  • Mild
Buying & storing630 recipes

Flavour and aroma

sharp, warm, woody. Pungent heat with woody, citrusy notes.

Heat
Mild
Forms
whole, ground

How to use it

  • grind · Dry grinding technique

    Grind fresh from whole peppercorns just before use; add most of it near the end of cooking to keep the aroma.

  • use raw

    Sprinkle over raita, eggs and fruit chaat.

  • Seasoning with salt at the table and in cooking
  • Rasam, pepper chicken and Chettinad dishes
  • Cacio e pepe and steak au poivre
  • Rubs and marinades
  • Garam masala and many blends

Identifying good quality

Grey-black powder with dark specks. Freshly ground pepper smells much stronger than pre-ground.

Origin and history

Origin: The Western Ghats of south-west India.. Grown and used: Used worldwide..

Ground black pepper is the powdered form of the peppercorns described above. Its heat comes from piperine, and its aroma from volatile oils that fade within days of grinding, which is why cooks grind it fresh.

Well documented

In masalas, pastes and sauces

Recipes with black pepper

594 more