Piper cubeba

Piper cubeba, also known as Cubeb or tailed pepper, is a plant in the genus Piper, cultivated for its fruit and essential oil. It is mostly grown in Java and Sumatra, hence sometimes called Java pepper. The fruits are gathered before they are ripe, and carefully dried. Commercial cubeb consists of the dried berries, similar in appearance to black pepper, but with stalks attached - the "tails" in "tailed pepper".

Description

The dried pericarp is grayish-brown or blackish and wrinkled, its surface showing minute, circular, shallow depressions. The seed is hard, white and oily. The odor of cubeb is described as agreeable and aromatic and the taste as pungent, acrid, slightly bitter and persistent. It has been described as tasting like allspice, or like a cross between allspice and black pepper.

History

Cubeb came to Europe via India through the trade with the Arabs. The name cubeb comes from Arabic kabāba, which is of unknown origin, by way of Old French quibibes. Cubeb is mentioned in Greek and Roman medical works from the first century AD and was widely used in Europe during the Middle Ages.

Uses

Cubeb is used in modern Chinese cuisine and Indian cuisine, and also made its way into Western cuisine, it was used in spice mixtures for meats and condiments. In the 19th century, cubeb was included in many over-the-counter remedies for infant teething and tuberculosis, and was also used as a urethral suppository, a local anesthetic, and a topical cure for gonorrhea. Cubeb oil has been used in the manufacture of perfumery and soap.

Cultivation

Cubeb is grown in Java and Sumatra. The fruits are gathered before they are ripe, and carefully dried. The trade in cubeb was significant in the 19th century and early 20th century, but has decreased dramatically.

See also

• List of culinary herbs and spices
• List of Indonesian spices