The forgotten spice that gave the world the name for all pepper

Gardening · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before black pepper dominated global trade, long pepper was the standard seasoning of the ancient world. Native to India, this pungent, sweet vine once fueled the Age of Discovery before being eclipsed by chili peppers and common black pepper. Today, it remains a hidden gem in specific culinary traditions.

Long pepper, or Piper longum, is a flowering vine in the Piperaceae family. Its fruit is unique, consisting of many tiny, poppy-seed-sized fruits embedded in a spike that resembles a hazel tree catkin. Like its relative Piper nigrum—the source of common black, green, and white pepper—it contains piperine, the compound responsible for its characteristic pungency. However, long pepper is distinctively sweeter and more intense than its more famous cousin.

The history of this spice is deeply intertwined with the development of global trade. In the sixth or fifth century BCE, the Greeks were already using long pepper, though Hippocrates primarily viewed it as a medicinal substance. By the Roman era, it was a staple spice, though confusion persisted; Pliny the Elder famously and incorrectly claimed that black and long pepper originated from the same plant. The etymological legacy of the spice is profound: the very word 'pepper' derives from the Sanskrit term 'pippali,' which is the name for long pepper.

The decline of long pepper began in the twelfth century as black pepper became more competitive in European markets, eventually displacing it entirely by the fourteenth century. The subsequent search for reliable, cheaper sources of black pepper was a primary driver of the Age of Discovery. When the Spanish encountered chili peppers in the Americas, they applied the name 'pimiento' to them, further confusing the botanical landscape. Because chili peppers were easier to cultivate in various climates, they eventually pushed long pepper into obscurity in Western commerce.

Despite its rarity in modern European kitchens, long pepper persists in specific global cuisines. It remains a key ingredient in Indian and Nepalese vegetable pickles, North African spice blends, and various Indonesian and Malaysian dishes. In India, it is often sold as 'pippali' and serves as the essential spice in nihari, a meat stew that originated in Lucknow and is now a national dish of Pakistan.

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