Geography/atlas of an ingridient - Coursework Example

The place of origin is predetermined by the favorable climate conditions as the perennial vine producing pepper berries can be grown only in tropical areas. On the other hand, black pepper was grown also in Malaysia and southern Thailand, but Malabar Coast of India was the main source of peppercorns (Innes Miller). However, due to international trade and establishing of connections between different parts of the world, this spice, called also the king of spices spread to the rest of the world including Europe – where peppercorns were virtually equal to gold in middle ages – and other countries where geographical conditions were favorable enough for pepper production.

Moreover, it is widely known that searches for spices were one of the key motivating factors for numerous marine expeditions and geographical discoveries. Nowadays, this spice is considered so typical and obvious for almost every dish, that we even don’t attach much importance to it, though black pepper is a rather significant food ingredient possessing not only taste-enhancing, but also health-friendly properties. Nutrition experts point to many good properties of peppercorns, among which digestion encouragement stands out.

Moreover, black pepper enhances appetite, thins blood grumes and decreases risk of cardiovascular diseases. Black pepper as a spice that is added for flavor to many dishes of the world’s cuisines has high market demand. Such countries as India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Sri Lanka are among the main supplier of black pepper around the world and belong to the International Pepper Community with its headquarters in Indonesia. According to the statistical data, the overall volume of pepper production in 2012 was 461,452 tons (HelgiLibrary).

Main manufacturers of black pepper are the countries located in the favorable climate zones featuring wetness and warmth. These are China, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia,