A key component of the spice trade, black pepper essential oil is obtained from steam distillation of black peppercorns. Peppers are a perennial woody vine up to 5m high with leathery, heart-shaped leaves and long clusters of small white flowers. They are often cultivated in third world countries as a valuable cash crop in place of tobacco, coffee or cocoa. The berries of the vine turn from green to orange-red as they mature. Black pepper is obtained from the dried, fully grown but unripe fruit. White pepper is the dried ripe fruit with the outer skin ( pericarp ) removed. Not to be confused with cayenne pepper and paprika from the capsicum species.
Native to the Malabar coast of India but mainly cultivated in Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, China and Madagascar. It was cultivated in Indonesia as early as the 13th century and in Sri Lanka and Combodia since the 18th century. The earliest record of pepper cultivation in Sarawak, Borneo ( Malaysia ) is in 1856 in Ulu Limbang.
Distillation takes place principally in Europe and the U.S.A.
The vine is propagated by taking cuttings of the pepper shoots when 1.5 to 2.5 years old. The young shoots are tied to sticks with soft bark or twine until 6 months old when permanent posts can then be used - often billian wood, 12 ft long by 4 inches square, 2 ft deep into the ground. The first crop is obtained when the vine is 2.25 to 2.5 years old with a yield of 2 to 3 kg of green pepper per vine. After 3.5 years, the vine is fully grown and can crop 1.8kg per vine for the next 8 to 10 years. With perfect cultivation vines can continue to produce a crop for 20 years or more.
Light and heavy versions of the essential oil are produced by different boiling fractions. An oleoresin is produced by solvent extraction for use in the flavouring industry.
The colour of the pure essential oil varies from water white to pale olive.
Both black and white pepper have been used in the East for the treatment of stomach aches, digestive problems and fever for over 4,000 years. The Chinese used pepper to treat malaria, cholera and dysentery. Pepper induces perspiration which eventually cools the body, thus acting as a 'febrifuge'. The monks of India were advised to swallow 7 to 9 grains of pepper a day to give them an endurance boost on their long treks.
Being a valuable comodity, it was often used as payment. Attila the Hun reputedly demanded 3,000 pounds in weight of pepper in 408AD as part of a ransom for the city of Rome. In the Middle Ages, there was a French saying, 'As dear as pepper'. In England, rent could be payed in pounds of pepper !
The Portugese founded a trade route to India and the Spice Islands around the Cape of Good Hope in 1498 ( Vasco da Gama's discovery ). The Portugese dominated the pepper trade until the 18th century when other countries cut in on the action.
Piperaceae
Piper, pepper
Middle
Warm to hot, spicy, woody.
Analgesic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, febrifuge, rubefacient, stimulant, stomachic.
Click here for glossary.
Stimulating. Good for mental clarity.
Warming and energising.
Massage mainly - excellent for muscle pains and stiffness. Can be used to treat sports injuries.
For colds and flu, it can be taken as a steam inhalation, combined with eucalyptus or marjoram.
Not campatible with homeopathic treatment.
Circulation : anemia, poor circulation
Muscular problems : arthritis, aches and pains, rheumatism, stiffness
Respiratory system : catarrh, chills
Digestive system : colic, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, heartburn, loss of appetite, nausea
Immune system : colds, flu, infections, viruses
Widespread use in the food industry. Some use in perfumery ( e.g. combined with rose oil ) and alcoholic drinks.
Frankincense, Lavender, Marjoram, Rosemary, Sandalwood
Warming Massage Blend
Sensuous Massage Blend
Uplifting Massage Blend
Indian Summer Body Powder
Put in a large glass jar, shake well and seal for 24 hours.
'Concentration' Room Burner
Sore Throat Gargle
Gargle up to 3 times per day.
A complex oil containing...
Monoterpenes (70%-80%), thujene, pinene, camphene, sabinene, carene, myrcene, limonene, phellandrene, sesquiterpenes (20%-30%).
Piperine, a water-soluble alkaloid is found in black pepper but not in the essential oil.
Non-toxic, non-sensitising.
Rubefacient - irritant in high concentration. Always dilute with a carrier oil.
Best avoided if pregnant.
