Pepper ( Piper Nigrum )

Pepper, once such a valuable spice that it was literally slod by the grain in mediaeval Europe,
comes from the dried berries of vine native to the Malabr coast of India.

The pepper vine, now grown in much of tropical Asia - particularly in the East Malaysian state of Sarawak - produces black, white and green peppercorns. The black variety, which are the whole berries picked unripe and sun dried until shrivelled, is the most widelyused form of pepper in Southeast Asia. Before the arrival of chillies from the Americas in the 16th century, peppercorns
were the main source of heat on tropical Asian food.

White peppercorns are ripe berries with the red skins removed before being bleached white by drying in the sun. Chinese cooks are the main users of white pepper, springkling it in powdered form on many cooked dishes.

Green peppercorns, which are not used by Southeast Asian cooks, are the immature berries pickled
in brine or freeze-dried while still fresh.

Botanical Family : Piperaceae
Thai name : Phrik Thai
Malaysian name : Lada hitam
Indonesian name : Merica

source : Hutton, Wendy; (1997); Tropical Herbs & Spices of Indonesia; Periplus Editions