SPICES AND FLAVORINGS 247 



commercial standpoint. The United States imports about 

 25,ooo,<xxD pounds of pepper annually. 



LONG PEPPER 



The long pepper plant is closely related to the common 

 commercial pepper and bears the botanical name Piper longum. 

 It is a creeping but not climbing woody vine, native to Bengal, 

 Assam, and Ceylon. The plant bears cordate, pointed leaves 

 and erect fruiting branches about i inch long. The whole 

 spike of red drupes is marketed as long pepper. The plant 

 is propagated by suckers which are planted at a distance of 

 5 feet apart both ways. Long pepper begins bearing during 

 the first year and reaches a full yield at 3 years of age. There- 

 after about 1,000 pounds of the product are produced annually 

 per acre. Long pepper is used as a spice and in native medi- 

 cine. P. oMcinarum of Java produces larger leaves and a more 

 pungent fruit. This product is used for the same purposes 

 as long pepper and is commonly known as Javanese long 

 pepper. Ashantee pepper (P. clusii), 3. plant native to western 

 Africa, has not been cultivated but the wild fruit is much 

 used by the natives as spice. 



GRAINS OF PARADISE 



A herbaceous plant belonging to the same family with ginger 

 and native of western tropical Africa yields the spice known 

 as grains of paradise (Amomum melegueta). The plant 

 attains a height of 5 or 6 feet and bears leafy stems 

 and spikes of showy flowers on trailing shoots which rise 

 from the rootstocks. The seeds are used as a substitute for 

 pepper. The product is also employed in veterinary medi- 

 cine and for flavoring wine, vinegar, and cordials. Grains 

 of paradise come upon the market chiefly from the Gold 

 Coast. 



