Nutritional Value Of Black Pepper

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a popular flowering vine, belonging to the plant family Piperaceae and the genus Piper. The plant species is popular for its fruit, which is used as a seasoning in a number of dishes and recipes all round the world. Black pepper is native to India and plays an important role in the cultural cuisine of the country. Apart from that, even in countries like Greece, the spice is regarded as highly prestigious and is also used as a sacred offering. Even in ancient Rome, it was a custom to honor the invading barbarians by presenting them with black pepper. Also, during the Middle Ages, a person’s economic status was measured by the stockpile of black pepper he possessed. Gradually, the spice became an important source of trade in a number of countries around the world. In present times, the prime commercial producers of this variety of pepper are India and Indonesia. To know more about the nutrition value present in black pepper, go through the Food Rating Chart given below.

Black Pepper Nutrition Facts

Amount of Black Pepper: 1 tablespoon

Total Weight of Black Pepper: 6 grams

Nutrients	Amount
Basic Components
Protein	0.7 g
Carbohydrates	4.1 g
Water	0.7 g
Ash	0.3 g
Calories
Total Calories	66.6 KJ
Calories From Fat	7.1 KJ
Calories From Carbohydrate Calories From Protein	54.4 KJ 5.4 KJ
Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber	1.7 g
Starch	1.7 g
Fats
Total Fat	0.2 g
Saturated Fat	0.1 g
Mono Fat	0.1 g
Poly Fat	0.1 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A	18.7 IU
Vitamin A Retinol Activity Equivalent Beta Carotene	0.9 mcg 9.7 mcg
Niacin	0.1 mg
Betaine Choline	0.6 mg 0.7 mg
Vitamin C	1.3 mg
Vitamin E (Gamma Tocopherol)	0.3 mg
Folate	0.6 mcg
Vitamin K	10.2 mcg
Minerals
Calcium	27.3 mg
Copper	0.1 mg
Iron	1.8 mg
Magnesium	12.1 mg
Manganese	0.4 mg
Phosphorus	10.8 mg
Potassium	78.7 mg
Selenium	0.2 mcg
Sodium	2.7 mg
Zinc	0.1 mg
Saturated Fats
16:0 Palmitic	56.3 mg
Mono Fats
18:1 Oleic	63.1 mg
Poly Fats
18:2 Linoleic	60.6 mg
18:3 Linolenic	10.0 mg
Other Fats
Omega 3 Fatty Acids	10.0 mg
Omega 6 Fatty Acids	60.6 mg
Amino Acids
Alanine	0.7 g
Arginine	0.7 g
Aspartate	0.7 g
Cystine	0.7 g
Glutamate	0.7 g
Glycine	0.7 g
Histidine	0.7 g
Isoleucine	0.7 g
Leucine	0.7 g
Lysine	0.7 g
Methionine	0.7 g
Phenylalanine	0.7 g
Proline	0.7 g
Serine	0.7 g
Threonine	0.7 g
Tryptophan	0.7 g
Tyrosine	0.7 g
Valine	0.7 g

Buying & Storing Facts

Black pepper can be availed in three different forms - whole, crushed or ground into powder. Most people, however, prefer to buy the whole peppers and grind them to powder themselves, just before adding it to the recipe. This is done to ensure the best flavor.
Purchasing whole peppers will also ensure that you are buying unadulterated pepper, which has not been mixed with any other spices.
Whole peppercorns are generally heavy, compact and devoid of any blemishes.
While buying peppers, ensure that the variety you are purchasing is organically grown and not exposed to any form of radiations. Radiations causes decrease in the level of the vitamin C present in the spice.
The ideal way of storing black peppers is by keeping them in a tightly sealed container, in a cool, dark and dry room. This way, whole peppercorns can be kept for indefinite period, while the fresh ones can be kept for a maximum of three months.
You can also store black pepper by freezing it, but this will cause a substantial decrease in the flavor.

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