All About Long Pepper | Know Your Spice Indian Long Pepper or Pipli (Piper longum)

Long pepper was freely used alongside (and often confused with) common black pepper in kitchens from ancient Rome to Renaissance Europe.

But the arrival of chillies from the New World and the rising popularity of black pepper shoved long pepper out of the culinary spotlight.

Indian Long Pepper is known for its curious looking spikes & is known to help in stimulating the appetite.

The oldest known reference to pippali comes from ancient Indian textbooks of Ayurveda, where its medicinal and dietary uses are described in detail.

Pippali pepper was first mentioned in Charaka Samhita (IV–II B.C.) – the ancient Indian guide to a healthy and balanced way of living.

It reached Greece in the sixth or fifth century BCE, though Hippocrates discussed it as a medicament rather than a spice.

Among the Greeks and Romans and prior to the European rediscovery of the American Continents, long pepper was an important and well-known spice.

The ancient history of black pepper is often interlinked with (and confused with) that of pipli, though Theophrastus distinguished the two in the first work of botany.

The Romans knew of both and often referred to either as just piper; Pliny erroneously believed dried black pepper and Indian long pepper came from the same plant.

It is also said that Attila the Hun demanded part of the ransom for his sacking of Rome to be paid in long peppers.

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 Discoveries.

After the discovery of the American continents & of chili pepper, called by the Spanish pimiento, employing their word for long pepper, did the popularity of long pepper fade away.

The word pepper itself is derived from the word for long pepper, pippali.

The plant itself, is a native of India. The word pepper in bell pepper, referring to completely different plants (in the Capsicum family), is of the same etymology.

• • It is used as spice and also in pickles and preserves.
  • Since it has a pungent pepper like taste and, the root is used to ferment rice beer.
  • In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the leaves are chewed like betel leaves.
  • It is used in the treatment of respiratory disorders and also as an important constituent in digestive formulations.
  • The roots and thicker parts of the stem are cut and dried and used as an important drug (Piplamool or Pippali) in the Ayurvedic and Unani systems.
  • In some hilly parts of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, it is grown for its roots.
  • Overall, it is used for preparation of exquisite culinary dishes as well as for the treatment and prophylaxis of various diseases, and also in the cosmetics industry.

• Whole, dried long pepper spikes can be used in marinades, stews and roasts.
• Put them in vegetable pickles (fresh or dried).
• Use them in soups the same way you might use a bay leaf.
• You can also steep them in tea with honey.
• Puree pipli for inclusion in curries, sauces, dips and dressings.
• Apply pippali liberally to burgers, steaks, burritos, vegetables, curries, salads, etc.
• Use it to make a herbal soup called ‘kandathippili rasam’.
• Grind to a powder and add it to coleslaw, fresh fruit.
• Add it to your berbere recipe mix.
• Fry it with some purified butter (the so–called ghee butter) for the treatment of cough.
• You can also consume pippali powder with some honey and get a respite from cough.

Stored whole, pippali may last for 3 – 4 years. Stored ground it will last for upto two years but it may lose some of its potency over time.

Store pipli in a dry & airtight glass container in a place where it’s away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.

You can use white pepper with a bit of ground nutmeg, mace or cardamom.

The pine and citrus notes that come from tellicherry pepper make it a great substitute for long pepper in terms of flavor.

The grains of paradise spice is also known as alligator pepper has several similarities to Indian long pepper.

Pippali are available in whole, crushed or powdered form. You can buy pippali (Long Pepper) or dried lemon (lemon omani) at most Indian groceries or online at Amazon

• India: Long Pepper or Pippali
• USA: Long Pepper or Pipli

Health Benefits of Indian Long Pepper, Pipli, Pippali, Thippili

Pippali has been shown to help fight diseases such as inflammation, depression and diabetes, among others, so it’s a great reason to add Pipli to your repertoire right now.

• Pipli is also used to make powerful Rasayana in Ayurveda and helps in detoxification. It is also very useful in colds and cough.
• Health Benefits of Pipli for Obesity – Pippali is administered along with honey to treat obesity, Kapha imbalance disorders like cold, cough, asthma, fever.
• Health Benefits of Pipli for Asthma, Anemia – Pipli powder one part and jaggery or honey two parts is mixed and administered to relieve cough, asthma, anemia, cardiac disorders, anemia and intestinal worm infestation.
• Health Benefits of Pippali against Tuberculosis: It is very useful to improve lung strength, because it is rejuvenative and anti-aging.
• Health Benefits of Indian Long pepper for Digestion – It improves appetite, it helps to avoid weight loss associated with tuberculosis and its treatment.
• Health Benefits of Pipli in Diabetes – It helps in regulating the amount of sugar in the blood, making the condition far more manageable and harmless.
• Health Benefits of Pippali for Liver Ailments – It has components that are known to protect the liver. It can make sure that the liver toxicity is always managed, and it also prevents jaundice from occurring.
• Health Benefits of Pipli as an Antibacterial Agent – It has strong antibacterial qualities. As bacteria are something that is always present around you, not much can be done in order to prevent your body’s exposure to the same. However, you can certainly prevent bacterial infections from occurring.
• Health Benefits of Pipli for Weight Loss – Indian long pepper helps with weight loss management. It basically reduces the fat in the body and also gets rid of fatty toxins, which helps you lose the additional weight.
• Health Benefits of Pipli for Menstrual Problems – It can help curb heavy menstrual flow and can also help with menstrual cramps. It even combats fatigue and some of the symptoms of PMS.
• Health Benefits of Pippali as an Aphrodisiac – Pipli also has the properties of an aphrodisiac. It can calm you down and relax your body. It promotes longevity and can also be used as a viable remedy for erectile dysfunction. Health
• Benefits of Indian Pipli for Respiration – Pippali can be used to speed up the recovery from a cough or cold and also reduces fever. It can also help people with bronchitis and asthma.