Common name: Black Pepper Family: Piperaceae Botanical name:Piper nigrum Origin: Jungles of southwestern Asia Uses: Fruit used as spice. This plant is the source of both white and black pepper. Black pepper is obtained by allowing the fruits to ferment a few days before drying. The results are black pepper corns. White pepper is made by soaking the ripe fruits in water and then removing the exocarp and mesocarp. The endocarp containing the seed is dried, and this is white pepper.

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