Black Pepper

Why it earns its place

Black pepper (kali mirch) is one of the oldest traded spices, valued in Ayurveda for stimulating digestion and clearing cold and damp from the body. Its bite comes from piperine, which modern research shows can dramatically increase how much your body absorbs from other foods, most famously the curcumin in turmeric.

Get the most from it

• Grind it fresh. Pepper’s aromatic oils fade quickly once ground, so a mill beats a pre-ground pot.
• Add it late. Piperine is delicate, so a final grind toward the end of cooking keeps its punch.
• Team it with turmeric. Even a pinch alongside turmeric meaningfully boosts absorption.

Bring it into the day

• The classic trio. Turmeric, black pepper and a little fat, in warm milk or a curry.
• Everyday finishing. Over eggs, soups, salads and roasted vegetables.
• Trikatu. In Ayurveda, pepper joins long pepper and ginger in this warming digestive blend.

Dishes to try

All vegetarian or vegan, and all built around pepper rather than hiding it.

• Black pepper rasam (milagu rasam). A thin, peppery South Indian broth of tamarind, tomato, crushed pepper and cumin, tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves and sipped with rice. The classic thing to reach for at the first sign of a cold. Naturally vegan.
• Cacio e pepe. The Roman pasta built on almost nothing but pepper and cheese, proof that black pepper can be the whole point of a dish rather than a finishing touch. Vegetarian, and easily made vegan with a plant-based hard cheese.
• Milagu kuzhambu. A dark, deeply savoury South Indian tamarind gravy heavy with black pepper, spooned over rice, warming and comforting. Naturally vegan.

Good to know

As a kitchen spice, pepper is enjoyed freely. In large medicinal or supplement doses, piperine can change how the body processes certain medications, so check with your practitioner if that applies to you.