DHAKA: From an omelette, pasta to a vegetable stir fry, black pepper can enhance the taste factor.

Black pepper has more healthy properties than most people know about. Black pepper is a spice that has the potential to make food more beneficial when used in various recipes and as a table spice.

In Kerala, many start their day with a cup of black coffee with a pinch of black pepper powder. The aroma of freshly ground black pepper is difficult to ignore.

We get our black pepper from the pepper vine that can grow in tropical climate. The pepper vines actually bear fruit-small white flowers that turn into berries called peppercorns. And the peppercorns are collected as whole berries or as ground black pepper.

Research studies have shown that black pepper has quite a handful of healthy properties.

It has the ability to enhance the function of the digestive tract. Black pepper is a great way to combat this. More than just a spice, it has been shown to improve digestion and stimulate the secretion from the taste buds.

This taste bud stimulation tells the stomach that it`s supposed to increase its own digestive juices, namely hydrochloric acid. This, in turn breaks down protein in the stomach, improving the process of digestion. Black pepper is known to have a great amount of antioxidant properties. It also has benefits against bacterial growth, particularly in the intestinal tract.

So, just add freshly ground black pepper powder to your dish and see the difference.

Source: ToI

BDST: 2048 HRS, DEC 05, 2013