“Pepper”: Different Spices, One Name—Analysis of Sensory and Biological Aspects

Spices are a part of modern and ancient cultures due to their recognized culinary and medicinal properties. Pepper is commonly used in many recipes; however, in the field of gastronomy, the term “pepper” usually refers to a group that includes several different spices, such as black pepper (<i>...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pierina Díaz-Guerrero, Sofia Panzani, Chiara Sanmartin, Chiara Muntoni, Isabella Taglieri, Francesca Venturi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/9/1891
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Spices are a part of modern and ancient cultures due to their recognized culinary and medicinal properties. Pepper is commonly used in many recipes; however, in the field of gastronomy, the term “pepper” usually refers to a group that includes several different spices, such as black pepper (<i>Piper nigrum</i> L.), cubeb pepper (<i>Piper cubeba</i> L.f.), long pepper (<i>Piper longum</i> L.), pink pepper (<i>Schinus terebinthifolius</i> Raddi), allspice (<i>Pimenta dioica</i> L. Merrill), and Japanese pepper (<i>Zanthoxylum piperitum</i> DC.). Despite the extensive study of the chemical characterization and medicinal and culinary properties of “pepper”, sensory analysis (color, aroma profile, odor profile, and chemesthesis) of these spices have not been completed. Therefore, the aim of this review was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within the spice supply chain considering these six “peppers” to analyze their positive and negative aspects. Finally, we selected the most representative molecules and properties of spices referred to as “pepper” to expand the research focus and highlight their key aspects related to health and sensory science for future applications. In this sense, this review provides a new strategic guideline that will help us understand and assess the key internal and external factors of pepper, allowing them to be applied in different sectors with different approaches.
ISSN:1420-3049