Question:

A dried drupe of black pepper is known as

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The fresh fruits on the vine are "berries," but once they are harvested, dried, and packaged as the wrinkled black spice we use at the table, they are commercially termed "peppercorns."
  • pepper corn
  • pepper berry
  • pepper spikes
  • pepper leaf
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is known as the "King of Spices."
Botanically, the fruit of black pepper is a small, single-seeded drupe borne on a pendulous spike.
Recognizing the commercial and botanical terminology of spice commodities is essential.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Let us analyze the terms associated with the black pepper plant:
- Peppercorn: When the mature but unripe green drupes of black pepper are harvested, blanched, and sun-dried, the skin (exocarp) shrinks and turns black and wrinkled.
These dried, black, spherical drupes are commercially and globally referred to as peppercorns.
- Pepper Berry: Refers to the fresh, juicy, green or red raw drupes still attached to the plant or newly harvested, before the drying process.
- Pepper Spike: The botanical inflorescence or fruiting axis upon which the individual pepper berries are arranged.
- Pepper Leaf: The broad, cordate, green leaves of the Piper nigrum vine, which are not used as the primary spice.
Therefore, the dried drupe of black pepper is called a peppercorn.

Step 3: Final Answer:

A dried drupe of black pepper is known as a pepper corn.
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