Known as the King of Spices or the Master Spice, pepper was cultivated as long ago as 1000 BC, and was the single most important factor in the European search for sea routes to the East. Pepper was considered so valuable that it was used as currency and was literally worth its weight in gold. In medieval times, a pound of pepper was the equivalent of a pound of gold or up to three weeks labor for trade purposes. During the Middle Ages, peppercorns were accepted as payment for rents and debts. Along with African ivory, Chinese silk, German amber and Arabian incense, pepper was considered one of the five essential luxuries upon which foreign trade with the Roman Empire was based. Pepper became so valuable that many merchants started mixing various substances with it to stretch their supply. Thus, in 1875, the British Sale of Food and Drugs Law imposed restrictions against the selling of adulterated pepper.
Peppercorns originated on the Malabar coast of India which still remains the leader in peppercorn production. Peppercorns are, however, also cultivated in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brazil. Today pepper production accounts for one-quarter of the global spice trade, with the United States being the largest importer. Pepper is ranked the third most added ingredient to recipes, with water and salt being first and second respectfully.
Peppercorns are the seed berries of the Piper nigrum vine which is a perennial vine that takes about 8 years to reach maturity and can continue to fruit for 20 years. The berries come in bundles of 50-60 per spike on the vine. Black, white and green peppercorns are all the same seed of the same plant in various stages of development.
The differences between the types of peppercorns are as follows:
* Black peppercorns- Not quite ripe when picked, and are allowed to dry in the sun. They are the strongest in flavor.
* White peppercorns- The mature berries, which are picked, then soaked and rubbed free of their outer red skin down to the white underlayer. They are then dried and bleached by the sun and are milder than black pepper.
* Green peppercorns- The unripe berries that are picked when still green and usually pickled in brine or vinegar. They are less spicy than black peppercorns.
* Red peppercorns- The mature berries, but are very hard to find on the market.
* Pink peppercorns- Unrelated to the others. They come from the Baies Rose plant. They are imported from Madagascar and are very expensive. They are slightly sweet, yet not as flavorful as the others are.
In addition to the most common types of peppercorns, there are also several different types of black and white peppercorns, which come from all over the world. Singapore black pepper is dried in suspended mats over an herb fire. The fire infuses the berries with a highly aromatic flavor. White pepper from Livorno, Italy is a very fine pepper and decorticated white pepper is a very high-grade pepper manufactured in England. Mignonette pepper is a roughly ground mixture of black and white peppercorns used in France, both in cooking and as a table seasoning.
Pepper, with its warm aroma and spicy flavor, perks up most any meat and enhances the flavor of seafood. Green peppercorns can be stirred into mayonnaise or added to cream based sauces. White peppercorns are especially useful when wanting to enhance visual appearance without the obvious addition of black specks. Peppercorns can be purchased ground, coarsely ground, cracked and whole. Because whole peppercorns hold their freshness, flavor and essential oils longer, they are the best and should be ground in a pepper mill for maximum flavor. Ground pepper begins to lose its flavor after about a month and green, brined peppercorns should be refrigerated after opening and used within a month. In most recipes, it is best to add pepper at the end of the cooking process so the flavor doesn’t dissipate.
We all know how to use ground black pepper from a shaker in every meal, but whole peppercorns are much more interesting to work with, so I’ve included some wonderful recipes to get you started. Black, white, green and pink whole peppercorns can be found at your local supermarket as are many crushed, cracked and ground varieties. Green brined peppercorns are available at specialty shops and some ethnic grocery stores.
This article appears in March 2024.