Phrik Thai | พริกไทย | Piper nigrum
Family: Piperaceae- Genus: Piper
The black pepper vines can be found in the organic vegetable garden of the Thai Child Development Foundation and in the area of DinDang - Natural Building and living on the same premises.
Black pepper is a flowering vine, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice. Peppercorns and the ground pepper are simply known as pepper. Pepper can be found as black pepper, green pepper and white pepper and they all come from the same plant. The black pepper is the cooked and dried unripe fruit. Green pepper is the dried unripe fruit. White pepper are the ripe fruit seeds.
Ground, dried and cooked peppercorns have been used since antiquity, both for flavor and as a traditional medicine.
Peppercorns are ready for harvest when one or two clusters of fruit on a low-hanging stem begin to turn red. Once harvested, they are dried in the sun.
THE VINE
The pepper plant is a perennial woody vine growing up to 4 meter in height on supporting trees, poles, or trellises. It is a spreading vine, rooting readily where trailing stems touch the ground.
A single stem bears 20 to 30 fruiting spikes.
A pepper plant takes 4 years to mature, but can be harvested for seven years afterward.
THE LEAVES
The leaves are alternate, entire, 5 to 10 centimeter longand 3 to 6 centimeter across.
NOTE: Both the stem and leaves, and even the sap of the black pepper plant are poisonous. Only the fruit is edible.
THE FLOWERS
The flowers are small, produced on pendulous spikes 4 to 8 centimeter long at the leaf nodes, the spikes lengthening up to 7 to 15 centimeter as the fruit matures.
THE FRUIT
When fresh and fully mature, the fruit is about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter and dark red, and contains a single seed.
The harvest begins as soon as one or two fruits at the base of the spikes begin to turn red, and before the fruit is fully mature, and still hard; if allowed to ripen completely, the fruit lose pungency, and ultimately fall off and are lost. The spikes are collected and spread out to dry in the sun, then the peppercorns are stripped off the spikes.
CULINARY USES OF PEPPER
Green peppercorns are widely used in the Thai cuisine. You can find fresh green peppercorn on markets all over Thailand.
The green peppercorns are used in special Thai dishes, such as seafood dishes and stir fries.
NUTRITION
One tablespoon (6 grams) of ground black pepper contains moderate amounts of vitamin K, iron and manganese, with trace amounts of other essential nutrients, protein, and dietary fibre.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USE OF PEPPER
NOTE: please take advice from a doctor if you are planning to use herbal medicine.
Rich in a potent antioxidant called piperine, which may help prevent free radical damage to your cells.
Contains an active compound that has been shown to decrease inflammation.
Extract has been said to improve symptoms of degenerative brain diseases.
Extract may improve blood sugar control
Has demonstrated cholesterol-lowering effects
Contains an active compound that has slowed the replication of cancer cells and induced cancer cell death
Boosts absorption of nutrients.
May promote gut health.
May offer pain relief.
May reduce appetite.
INTO THE WILD: a down to earth experience
For guests and visitors to Paksong we organize weekly tours "The Edible Forest" and Foraging weekends: Into the Wild. We work with local guides to take you in the jungle of Paksong. After foraging, we will cook a meal with the ingredients, using bamboo together with you!
Come and join and learn about the abundance of food that nature gives us!
INTO THE WILD!
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