Pepper

About this product

Black pepper (மிளகு) – the King of Spices, grown in the Western Ghats and used in South Indian kitchens more than almost anywhere else. These are whole black peppercorns. Buying whole is not fussiness: pepper's heat and aroma come from oils that escape almost immediately once the corn is cracked, so freshly ground pepper is sharper, more fragrant and more citrusy than anything from a packet of powder. In Tamil cooking pepper is foundational, not a table condiment. It is the defining spice of milagu rasam and pepper chicken, it is ground with cumin into milagu kuzhambu, it seasons curd rice and buttermilk, and it is crushed into kashayam with tulsi and ginger at the first sign of a cold. In Western cooking it finishes almost everything, from eggs to salads to steak. Pepper contains piperine, the compound behind its pungency, which is also known to improve absorption of turmeric's curcumin, a reason the two are so often cooked together. Store whole peppercorns in an airtight jar away from heat and light, where they keep their potency for years, and grind fresh at the point of use. Order online or over WhatsApp, with cash on delivery available.