Cochin Refineries Workers Association, Cochin, India
Product Specification - ORGANIC BLACK PEPPER
“From thence they sail
with the wind called 'Hippalos' in forty days to the first Commercial
Station in Muziris which is not much to be recommended. There is another
more advantageous port which is called Barace in the territory of the
nation called Neacyndi. The King of the country was named Pandyan who
resided far from the port in a city of the interior which is
called Madura. But the
region from which pepper is brought to Barace in barges hewn out of single
trees is called Cottamana (present day Kadathnad in North Malabar, South
India). They make the return voyage from India with the South East wind
(vulturnus)”
Pliny,
Roman Historian, AD 23-79
The humid, tropical, evergreen
forests of Malabar coast is home to Black pepper, the “King of Spices”.
The search for Indian Pepper brought many fleets to Indian shores through
millennia.
Pepper occupies
an important position in the cuisines of both East and West. It is also
widely used as a food preservative. With its antioxidant, anti-microbial,
analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-inflammatory properties, it has wide applications
in pharmaceutical products and in Ayurveda, the indigenous system of Indian
medicine. No wonder Indian Pepper fascinated the world from ancient times.
The products on offer are
Organically produced Malabar Black Pepper - TGEB (Tellichery Garbled Extra
Bold) and MG-1 (Malabar Garbled-1), two premium grades. The specifications
of the above are: TGEB : Dried mature
berries of Piper nigrum grown in South India, garbled, diameter 4.25 mm
or above, extraneous matter, light berries and moisture content not exceeding
respectively 0.5%, 3% and 11% by weight, free from mould, insects or adulterants.
MG-1 : Dried mature berries of Piper
nigrum grown in South India, garbled, extraneous matter, light berries and
moisture content not exceeding respectively 0.5%, 2% and 11% by weight,
free from mould, insect or adulterants.
Both
grades are steam sterilized and certified organic by M/s.Skal International
and meet ASTA(American Spices Trade Association)
/ ESA(European Spice Association) quality standards.
