Pepper Names

The mysterious and evocative names used in the trade are an aspect of pepper that has always attracted me. Names like Muntok White, Tellicherry Extra Bold or Malabar Garbled were, and still are, deeply fascinating. They evoke images of far-away ports, shouting traders, sacks of spices and dimly lit warehouses. They are also a valuable lesson in geography, for pepper often takes the name of the region of origin, or the port from which it is exported, or the regional capital. Locate these places in an atlas and you will start to get an idea of pepper’s far-reaching influence.