Grades of pepper
Pepper is sold in grades by berry size and density, from Tellicherry extra bold to garbled mixtures.
Also: Tellicherry, Malabar garbled, TGSEB, pepper grade
Pepper grades describe the berry, not the flavour alone. In India, Malabar Garbled pepper is cleaned of light berries and stems. Tellicherry Garbled Extra Bold, TGEB, and Tellicherry Garbled Special Bold, TGSEB, are larger berries, at least four and a half millimetres or more, taken from vines left to ripen longer on the Tellicherry hills, and they have more aroma. Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia supply most pepper by volume, with Lampong and Muntok White among well-known origins. Prices depend on bulk density, moisture, piperine content and cleanliness. Good black pepper is dark brown to black and wrinkled, with a strong aroma when crushed.