Not just that; experts believe that it has medicinal properties that provide relief for many ailments such said as colds, sore throats, fevers, enhances blood circulation for cold hands and feet. It also regulates blood sugar and fights prostate cancer.
Pepper can also act as stimulant that regulates blood flow in our bodies and also proves to be useful raw material for preparing creams meant for lessening pains, inflammations and itching on our bodies.
Production
In Nigeria, pepper is mainly produced in the Northern states and the South West states and to a lesser extent in the Southeastern states.
It is, however, appalling that despite the inherent large production in the country, there are still huge imports of pepper indicating that there is high demand for pepper.
Varieties
There are different varieties of pepper in the Nigerian market.
There is bird pepper (atawere) which is short in length and very hot. Both ripe and unripe are used in making sauces.
Then there is the Red pepper (sombo), mild and comparatively thin and longer than bird pepper.
The most common variety in the market is atarodo. The small type is of it is hotter than the bigger type.
There is also tatase characterised by mild taste, reddish, often used to colour the food or to reduce the hotness of the pepper.
Then there is the yellow pepper or Ose Nsukka, very popular in Enugu State; highly sought after for its distinctive aroma.
Cultivation
Pepper grows well in a drained loam and rich soil with warm climate. Waterlogged and alkaline soils are not good for growing pepper. To get a better yield it is better to plant during the dry season.
Leave a Reply