# 48 Black Pepper

Is the pepper plant a bush or a tree? This is a trick question. It is neither. It's a woody climber. It is not a vine. But it is close to it. It needs support. It reaches heights of 30 feet or more. The pepper plant is long lived. It bears berries for about 40 years. As a trade item, pepper has always been important. Overland caravans were used to get it. These caravans brought pepper from India to Europe. Pepper was so prized that it was used as money. Taxes were paid with it.

The pepper plant bears a small berry. It is about the size of a pea. When ripe, it turns red. The pepper berry must be hand-picked. Then it is dried in the sun. It turns black when it is dry.

Pepper plants need a long rainy season. The temperature needs to be high. The plants need shade, but not too much. They also need sun. Most of the pepper we use today comes from Java and Sumatra. We import about 30,000 tons each year.

Pepper was people's first means of refrigeration. During the Crusades pepper was used to preserve sausages. Meat packers use 25 percent of the pepper we import. It preserves the meat.

Pepper mills are now common items in the home. Restaurants used to use them too. But no more. The reason is this. Customers were "collecting" pepper mills. Now, a waiter comes around with a long pepper mill. He or she will sprinkle the pepper if wanted.

Pepper has also been used as a medicine. One old book recommends it. It says pepper will cure aches and pains. American Indians use it today to cure toothaches. It is also used by French and Dutch housewives. They use it to kill moths and to repel insects.

# 48 黑胡椒

胡椒植物是灌木還是樹？這是一個陷阱題。它兩者都不是。它是一種木質藤本植物。它不是藤蔓。但很接近。它需要支撐。它能長到30英尺或更高。胡椒植物壽命很長。它結果大約40年。作為貿易商品，胡椒一直很重要。人們使用陸路商隊來獲取它。這些商隊將胡椒從印度帶到歐洲。胡椒非常珍貴，以至於被用作貨幣。稅收用它來支付。

胡椒植物結一種小漿果。大小約如豌豆。成熟時會變成紅色。胡椒漿果必須手工採摘。然後在陽光下曬乾。乾燥後會變成黑色。

胡椒植物需要漫長的雨季。溫度需要高。植物需要遮蔭，但不能太多。它們也需要陽光。我們今天使用的大部分胡椒來自爪哇和蘇門答臘。我們每年進口約30,000噸。

胡椒是人們最早的冷藏手段。在十字軍東征期間，胡椒被用來保存香腸。肉類包裝商使用我們進口胡椒的25%。它用來保存肉類。

胡椒研磨器現在是家庭常見物品。餐廳過去也使用它們。但現在不再了。原因是這樣。顧客會「收集」胡椒研磨器。現在，服務員會拿著一個長胡椒研磨器過來。如果需要，他或她會撒上胡椒。

胡椒也被用作藥物。一本舊書推薦它。書中說胡椒能治癒疼痛。美洲印第安人至今仍用它來治療牙痛。法國和荷蘭的家庭主婦也使用它。她們用它來殺死蛾類並驅趕昆蟲。