An offer for "black pepper" means little until it says which grade. Indian pepper is sold by origin name, by berry size and by bulk density, and the price difference between the bottom and the top of that ladder is large. These are the terms a buyer meets on an Indian offer sheet.
Malabar and Tellicherry
Both names come from the Malabar coast of Kerala, and both describe the same plant, Piper nigrum. In trade, "Malabar" is the standard garbled pepper, while "Tellicherry" is reserved for the largest, most mature berries sorted out of the crop. Tellicherry is therefore a size grade as much as a place name, and only a small share of any harvest qualifies.
The grade ladder
| Grade | What it means | Typical berry size |
|---|---|---|
| TGSEB — Tellicherry Garbled Special Extra Bold | The largest berries; premium retail and gourmet use | About 4.75 mm and above |
| TGEB — Tellicherry Garbled Extra Bold | Large, bold berries | About 4.25 mm and above |
| TG — Tellicherry Garbled | Bold berries | About 4.0 mm and above |
| MG-1 — Malabar Garbled grade 1 | Cleaned and graded standard pepper; the usual export and grinding grade | Mixed, smaller than Tellicherry |
| MUG — Malabar Ungarbled | Not cleaned of light berries, stalks and dust | Mixed |
| Light berries and pinheads | Immature or undersized berries removed during garbling; used for extraction and low-cost grinding | Small |
"Garbled" simply means cleaned and sorted. The sizes above are the ones commonly quoted under India's Agmark standards; ask the supplier to state the sieve size on the contract rather than relying on the grade name alone.
Bulk density: grams per litre
International trade also grades pepper by how much a litre of berries weighs. Heavier means denser, more mature berries with fewer hollow ones. Offers are typically written as 500 g/l, 550 g/l or 570–580 g/l, the last being the premium end, and "ASTA" quality refers to the cleanliness specifications of the American Spice Trade Association. Density and size answer different questions, so a careful specification states both.
What else to specify
- Piperine, the compound responsible for the bite, and volatile oil, responsible for the aroma. Extractors buy on these two numbers.
- Moisture, usually required at or below about 12 %, because damp pepper moulds.
- Light berries and extraneous matter, as maximum percentages.
- Microbiology and the treatment used: steam sterilisation is the safe choice for most markets.
- Pesticide residues and ethylene oxide against the limits of your market, and mineral oil where your customer asks for it.
- Crop year. New-crop Indian pepper reaches the market from about December to March.
Which grade for which use
- Whole pepper in grinders and premium retail packs: TGSEB or TGEB, where the look of the berry is part of the product.
- General retail, food service and cracked pepper: MG-1 or a 550 g/l grade.
- Grinding for powder: MG-1, with attention to volatile oil and microbiology rather than size.
- Oleoresin and oil extraction: grades chosen on piperine and oil content; light berries are often used because they extract well for their price.
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