ADD PEPPER SPICE TO YOUR LIFE!

ADD PEPPER SPICE TO YOUR LIFE!

I have been using black pepper corns in my cooking since the beginning. Sometimes added whole to dals and curries and always a small dash of freshly crushed pepper powder in almost all savoury cooking whether Indian or global. But my love affair with this spice started a few years ago when a friend gifted me some pepper plant cuttings which over the years has given huge harvests on my terrace. A couple of weeks ago I had a bumper harvest on my terrace and I now have at least a couple of years stock of black pepper which I use a great deal of in my cooking.

But I am not the only one. Historians have found evidence about the use of pepper in Southern India as far back as 2000 BC and evidence of pepper trade from South India to Egypt and Middle East as far back as 1000 BC. A much sought after spice, pepper was called the “Black Gold”. European traders in the middle ages arrived in India and transported shiploads of the spice to Europe. It was considered that any merchant who took one shipload of pepper spice, made enough money to live a palatial life for years to come. Today pepper is cultivated in many countries across the world.

Pepper in Cooking

A great flavour, wonderful mild heat and amenable to all kinds of cooking. Indian, Continental, Asian, everything I cook has pepper. Add it while cooking, sprinkle it over your food. Raw foods like salads and chutneys, cooked foods like veggies, dals, rice preparations. Add it whole or add it ground up. Grind and store in a jar, or keep a pepper mill to use freshly crushed pepper.

Each dish has its own flavours. Italians love oregano and basil flavours, Chinese love garlic, ginger, sweet, sour, fragrant spices like star anise, Europeans like their food salted and baked or roasted to perfection, Americans like their steaks, Japanese sushi flavours and so on. But the capstone spice in all these cuisines is: Pepper! The addition of pepper in the recipe in any form makes all flavours complete, thus making pepper the spice of all cuisines.

In North Indian cuisine, pepper is used in the tempering or tadka. In South India it forms the main spice in rasam, sambhar and even the gravies and curries.

The Science of Pepper

Black pepper is a strong source of antioxidants, which fight free radicals created in the body by chemicals, toxins, pollutants, pollution, and damaging rays, among other things. Thus it helps build your body’s response to threats from such environmental changes.

Black pepper has the ability to fight inflammation which is the underlying cause of many ‘lifestyle’ diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and even cancer. The main ingredient in pepper is piperine, and new research confirms the anti-inflammatory effects of black pepper.

Black Pepper helps promote digestion by stimulating the production of enzymes and hydrochloric acid in the stomach. It also prevents the production of too much gas and reduces flatulence and bloated feelings.

Although we consume pepper in very small quantities on a daily basis, it nevertheless carries plenty of micronutrients like Vitamin E and B6, calcium, potassium and manganese which are essential for bone health and metabolic functioning of the body.

By stimulating the chemical pathways in the brain, it has a stimulatory effect on the brain and increases memory and cognitive performance.

Studies are under way and initial results show that consumption of pepper on a daily basis can also help diabetics as it helps increase cell-level insulin sensitivity.

It reduces blood sugar, black pepper’s antioxidant capabilities improve the health of the digestive tract. In addition, black pepper aids in the fight against obesity, which is also one of the most significant diabetes risk factors.

Piperine, an essential compound in pepper is found to work well in conjunction with other herbs especially turmeric. Turmeric contains curcumin which is considered a wonder drug in fighting inflammation. However, curcumin is difficult for the body to absorb. Research has shown that the presence of piperine acts as a catalyst and enables the absorption of curcumin in the human body.

Pepper not only has a cholesterol lowering effect on the body, but also seems to work in conjunction with other cholesterol lowering supplements by boosting their absorption in the body along with boosting the absorption of selenium and calcium in addition to curcumin.

Home Remedies with Pepper

The science of the benefits of pepper, can go on and on. But I do believe that the world’s first pharmacy is in the kitchen, and using food as medicine is the first course of action, especially for lifestyle related diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, PCOS, obesity, etc. I would like to share how I use pepper as a medicine in my home remedies on a daily basis. Of course, needless to say that this is in addition to using pepper in most of my cooking. Some home remedies using this spice:

1. Pepper and honey. Crushed pepper mixed with honey enhances the impact of the honey and is an excellent remedy for sore throats as it suppresses coughing and its subtle heat boosts the body’s ability to fight the sore throat infection. This recipe also helps maintain brain health and combats brain fog
2. Tulsi-pepper-ginger tea. I do this often in the winter months. Make one cup of tea with 5-10 leaves of tulsi (holy basil), half teaspoon crushed ginger, and 5-6 freshly crushed peppercorns. Have it at night just before sleeping. It helps keep the body warm and boosts your immunity especially respiratory infections
3. A combination of salt and pepper when rubbed into the gums helps heal gum disease
4. Fresh green pepper (you can also use dry black pepper also) paste heated with sesame oil, makes for a great pain relieving massage oil
5. Make a combination of equal parts of rock salt, black pepper powder, dry ginger powder and carom (ajwain) seeds. A great digestive aid which relieves acidity, flatulence and improves digestive power.
6. Chewing six black pepper corns with four soaked and peeled almonds, swallowed with ghee or milk is supposed to help deal with impotence.

A Word of Caution

In our lives, we use pepper daily without realizing the benefits. Normally in a household of 4-5 persons, perhaps half a teaspoon of pepper is used daily, either whole or ground. Remember it is a strong spice, can cause sneezing and irritation. Using in moderate or limited quantities on a daily basis is best. However, when using for medicinal purposes, it’s okay to increase intake for a day or two till you get results. More than that may not achieve its purpose and the heat of the pepper corns may irritate the stomach lining too much. So, like with any medicine, use the right precautions and don’t overdo it.

Thanks for reading this blogpost till the end. I have tried to give you an in-depth information on how pepper is not just a spice on the rack but a great deal more than that. Hope you enjoyed reading. Please leave a comment below, it only takes a minute of your time.