Ingredient profile
Pippali
Piper longum
Long pepper, a warming spice traditionally used to support digestion and the absorption of other herbs.
- Hindi
- पिप्पली
- Sanskrit
- Pippali
- Family
- Piperaceae
- Part used
- fruit
Traditional use
Pippali, or long pepper, is a flowering vine whose small fruits grow packed together into slender spikes. The dried spikes taste hotter and sweeter than black pepper.
In Ayurvedic tradition
Ayurveda uses pippali as a warming digestive and as a rasayana for the respiratory system. It is one of the three spices of Trikatu, alongside black pepper and ginger, and is often added to blends to support absorption of other herbs.
Ayurvedic properties
- Rasa (taste): Pungent
- Guna (qualities): Light, unctuous, sharp
- Virya (potency): Mildly heating
- Vipaka (post-digestive effect): Sweet
- Effect on the doshas: Balances vata and kapha
How it is traditionally taken
Usually taken in small amounts as part of a formulation, or as a powder with honey.
Safety notes
Its heating nature means it is used in small amounts; avoid excess if you feel overheated. Use as directed on the product label. This profile is for general education and is not medical advice.
References
- Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (monograph: Pippali) pharmacopoeia