Celebrating Black Pepper in Kerala

Black pepper is one of the world’s most traded spices and today it’s hard to imagine a kitchen cupboard without some kind of grinder or shaker. Vietnam is now the largest producer and exporter of pepper, but these berries – the fruit of the wild-growing vine, piper nigrum – are native to India's Western Ghats.

The name pepper comes from the Sanskrit word 'pippali', which means berry. Pepper vines grow to about 10 meters tall on smooth, woody stems that are swollen at the joints. The heart-shaped leaves are dark green, glossy and arranged alternately on the stem, while the small, white flowers are borne in clusters in a slender spike. Each spike bears between 50 and 60 round green fruits, each about 1cm in diameter, that turn yellowish red when ripe. The berries are harvested just as they begin to redden and are then left to dry on rows of mats, filling the mountain air with a bright, fruity scent.

Thekkady, in Kerala's beautiful Idukki district, is famous for its pepper plantations. It is also the location of CGH Earth's Spice Village hotel where our holiday to Kerala and The Malabar Coast is based for two nights. Your time here includes the chance to meet local farmers on a guided spice tour. Why not join us there and celebrate the spice known as Black Gold in person?