Malabar Black Pepper (MG1)

MG1 at 500–550 g/l — the volume trade grade

Malabar Garbled Level 1 is the standard against which the black pepper trade prices, and it is bought on bulk density rather than on berry size. MG1 runs 500–550 g/l with moisture ≤ 12%, light berries ≤ 2%, extraneous matter ≤ 1%, piperine 3.5–5% and volatile oil 2–3.5%. "Garbled" means the pepper has been cleaned and the stalks, light berries and dust removed, which is what separates it from ungarbled field-run material. Kerala is the traditional origin; Vietnam now supplies a very large share of world volume under ASTA specifications quoted directly as bulk density — ASTA 500, 550 and 570 — and for most buyers the practical choice between Indian MG1 and Vietnamese ASTA 550 comes down to price into port rather than to any culinary difference.

Buy MG1 or its Vietnamese equivalent for everything except premium whole-berry presentation: food processing and industrial seasoning, retail ground pepper, sauce and marinade manufacture, meat processing, and general food-service. This is where the great majority of the world's pepper actually goes, and paying a Tellicherry premium for pepper that will be ground and cooked is a straightforward waste. The variables worth attention are bulk density, which is the price driver and is easy to verify, and microbiological load — pepper is sun-dried on the ground in many origins and carries a real microbial burden, which is why steam sterilisation is standard for ready-to-eat applications. Volume and multi-origin availability also mean pepper programmes can be re-routed when one origin's price or crop moves against you. CBIL supplies against SGS or Intertek certification of bulk density, moisture, light berries, volatile oil, extraneous matter and microbiology, in 25 kg bags, container-load, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms.