The story
Kochi has traded pepper and other spices with Arab, Chinese, Jewish and European merchants for more than two thousand years. Warehouses in Mattancherry and Jew Town handled spices brought down from the Western Ghats. In the twentieth century Kochi became home to the Spices Board and to large spice-extract companies in and around Ernakulam. Malabar pepper is a GI shared by Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
In numbers
The International Pepper Exchange near the spice market in Jew Town was established in 1957.
Pepper Exchange, Kochi — Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism)Malabar Pepper is a registered GI (application 49, certificate 47) covering Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
GI Registry — Malabar Pepper, application 49
GI tag
- Malabar PepperApplication no. GI Application No. 49 (Certificate No. 47)GI Registry, Intellectual Property India — application 49
Ways in for a newcomer
- Branded, tested spice packs for domestic and export retail
- Cleaning, grading and sterilisation services for exporters
- Spice extracts and oleoresin supply to food companies
- Spice-heritage tourism in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry
Problems the cluster faces
- Pesticide-residue limits in export markets
- Price swings and cheaper pepper from Vietnam
- Adulteration risks
- Shrinking pepper area in Kerala
Businesses to start here
Black Pepper Cleaning & Grinding Unit →Masala / Spice Grinding Unit →Cryogenic Spice Grinding →Green Cardamom Powder →Ginger Processing (Dry Ginger and Ginger Oil) →