Tellicherry pepper and other black pepper grades

Grade names, not farm names

Tellicherry is the old name of Thalassery, a port town in Kannur district on the north Kerala coast. Pepper shipped from the Malabar Coast gave its names to the trade, and those names are still used. Today they describe grades — mainly berry size and appearance — rather than a guarantee that every berry came from one place.

How the grades are usually described

• Malabar grades (often written MG) describe the general run of black pepper after garbling, that is, cleaning and sorting.
• Tellicherry grades are reserved for larger berries. You will see abbreviations such as TGEB (Tellicherry Garbled Extra Bold) and TGSEB (Tellicherry Garbled Special Extra Bold), defined by a minimum berry size measured by sieve.
• Ungarbled pepper has not been cleaned and sorted, and is usually bought by processors who do their own cleaning.

Exact definitions depend on the standard named in the contract, so state the standard or the measurements you expect rather than relying on the label alone.

Size is only one parameter

A bold berry can still be light, damp or dusty. Bulk density, moisture, light berries and extraneous matter matter as much as size, and flavour strength (piperine, volatile oil) matters for some uses. Larger grades generally cost more, so it is worth choosing the grade your product actually needs.

Choosing a grade

• Whole pepper for retail and table use: larger, uniform berries are usually preferred for appearance.
• Grinding and seasoning: appearance matters less; density, cleanliness and flavour matter more.
• Further processing: ungarbled or lower grades may suit buyers who clean in-house.

Next step

See how to specify black pepper for bulk purchase, our black pepper profile, or send an export enquiry with the grade you are considering.