How much pepper does turmeric need?

Very little. Roughly one part pepper to twenty parts turmeric, which in a home kitchen means a normal pinch. Studies of curcumin absorption use similarly small amounts of piperine.

Is white pepper the same?

Same berry, skin removed. It is milder in aroma and still contains piperine, but the fruity notes are gone.

Does pepper burn the stomach?

Not in normal cooking amounts for most people. If you already have reflux or an ulcer, heavy pepper can irritate, so go light.

Chapter 1 of 10

Black Pepper

If You Read Nothing Else

The heat and most of the effects come from one compound, piperine.

Piperine greatly increases how much curcumin (the yellow compound that gives turmeric its colour) from turmeric reaches the blood.

It gently increases stomach juices, which is why it is used before heavy meals.

Grind it fresh. Ground pepper loses its punch within a few months.