Long pepper (
Piper longum), sometimes called
Indian long pepper, is a
flowering vine in the family
Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a
spice and
seasoning. Long pepper has a similar, but hotter, taste to its close relative
Piper nigrum - from which black, green and white pepper are obtained. The word
pepper itself is derived from the
Tamil/
Malayalam word for long pepper,
pippali.