Green Peppercorn Vines growing at the Poomaale Estate, Coorg.

Living in India, most of our meals are incomplete without a generous pepper seasoning. Be it the good old comfort soup or a multi-course gourmet meal, black pepper is a not-to-miss ingredient! But this common spice of today was once as valuable (if not more) as gold! The character it brought to the experience of food, wooed the entire world and made the sails of several nations turn towards Southeast Asia – specifically peninsular India.

The Influential Season(ing)

‘Influencers and trends’ are not modern concepts. They have always been in place and have proved to overturn dynasties and shape economies. Our little influencer – black pepper – has gone as far as to direct the course of history itself.

Records of black pepper being used in Indian cooking date back to around 2000 BC. What was a common, native ingredient for India, became a mysterious ingredient for the rest of the world. Soon enough, the trade of this secret ingredient spread across Southeast Asia. It was even used as currency in some locales. Its skyrocketing market value made it a commodity of the affluent and gave it the name ‘Black Gold’.

It was the Romans who introduced this eastern spice to the western shores. Fascinated by the exotic seasoning, they exported black gold from India to their land, making it an exclusive, luxury addition to dining tables. Post the Roman fall, Arabs took over the trade and by the 16th century, black pepper became a precious culinary resource for the whole world. However, as trade routes by sea multiplied, the supply chain widened, the prices fell and black pepper soon became a humble companion of salt on the common man’s table, ending the season of influence.

The historic political power of this black gold deeply impacted the series of events in India, from ancient trade to colonisation. But what made this spice so special? Was it worth fighting wars over and invading foreign territories? Let’s dive a little deeper!

Black Pepper has Prehistoric Connections

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is deemed to originate in the Western Ghats in India, which are also a Biodiversity Hotspot. Although there are 1500 species of black pepper globally, the concentration of relatives is high in this region and we continue to discover new pepper species too! However, a recent study by scientists has revealed that the unique, loved, wild black pepper of the Western Ghats didn’t ‘originate’ in this region – it was ‘formed’ over a series of prehistoric events and epochs.

Peninsular India was once a part of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwanaland. Millions of years ago, Piper Nigrum arrived in peninsular India from Southeast Asia (study dates the Miocene Age: 23 million to 5 million years ago). Over time, with the continental drift, the lineage of the species split and each went their way. However, the Western Ghats saw a particularly distinctive development. About 10 million years ago, the monsoons intensified in the region and became more definite. As a result of climate change, ecosystems evolved to adapt and the endemic (found only in one region) black pepper of Western Ghats as we know it today was formed.

Sustaining the Legacy of Black Gold

The rich biodiversity of Western Ghats continues to fascinate scientists worldwide because of its evolutionary links and high concentrations of endemic species. The wild black pepper that grows here in various forms (tree-lets, shrubs, vines and more), has better essential oil yield and a larger percentage of piperine (the element that gives pepper its pungent taste). 

In recent years, the Western Ghats have been subject to intense anthropogenic activities resulting in habitat changes and the extinction of many wild populations. The reckless harvesting of wild black pepper for profits seems to be following a similar fashion, projecting the decline of the species. But, safeguarding it is important, not just to conserve the biodiversity of the region but also to propagate the genes of the species. Wild species have the ability to resist pests, survive droughts and adapt to climate change. Should another world-altering climate change phenomenon occur, our beloved everyday spice will continue to survive and evolve. It becomes our responsibility to ensure they thrive, for these natural treasures are worth a lot more than gold!