Long pepper

Use of long pepper occurred in Greece in the sixth or fifth century BCE, though Hippocrates discussed it as a medicine rather than a spice. Among the Greeks and Romans and prior to the Columbian exchange, long pepper was a common spice. The ancient history of long pepper is often interlinked with that of black pepper (Piper nigrum). Theophrastus distinguished the two in his work of botany. The Romans knew of both but their word for pepper usually meant black pepper. Pliny erroneously believed dried black pepper and long pepper came from the same plant. Round, or black, pepper began to compete with long pepper in Europe from the twelfth century and had displaced it by the fourteenth. The quest for cheaper and more dependable sources of black pepper fueled the Age of Discovery. After the discovery of the American continents and of chili pepper, called by the Spanish pimiento, employing their word for long pepper, the popularity of long pepper faded away. Chili peppers, some of which, when dried, are similar in shape and taste to long pepper, were easier to grow in a variety of locations more convenient to Europe. Today, long pepper is a rarity in general commerce.

Etymology. The word pepper itself is derived from the word for long pepper, Sanskrit pippali. The plant itself is a native of India. …