I get asked quite often when to use Black and White Pepper – August Featured Ingredient. I’m also asked, what is the difference? Believe it or not these are great questions and I have an answer to both questions. As you venture down the spice aisle in your local market or maybe your local spice store you see a variety of black pepper, white pepper, and a mixture of several peppercorns. Yes it can be confusing so give me a moment of your time and I’ll explain.
Black pepper is the most common of all peppercorns. These are the ones you see for your pepper grinder. Red and green peppercorns are not as easily found but in the assortment bottles mixed with black and white peppercorns. Be careful using red peppercorns in a grinder because they are fragile.
Black and White Pepper – September Featured Ingredient
So to answer the questions of the difference and when to use one or the other, let’s start with origin and what a black or white peppercorn is. The origin of peppercorns hail from India. Dating back to 1000 B.C.pepper can be chronicled to southern Arabia where traders controlled all pepper and spice routes. Skipping to medieval times, pepper was shipped but was expensive to do so pepper was declared a luxury. Moving through Europe, some were fed up with prices.
Hulls of ships were filled with the pepper only to discover pepper was becoming more readily available so prices began dropping. Ordinary people were able to enjoy this spice without paying the high cost. Regional cuisines became a part of all local food. Pepper began being blended to make such blends as Garam Marsala and Ras El Hanout along with use in French and Caribbean cuisines.
Black and White Pepper – September Featured Ingredient
Black peppercorns are most common and found as berries on a flowering vine and are the result of cooked and dried green peppercorns. The pungent peppercorns are ground and used to flavor many a dish. Varieties are many namely, Tellicherry is found most often which have a sweet undertone. Yet Brazilian varieties tend to be more harsh and citrusy in flavor.
White peppercorns are just black peppercorns with the skin removed. Both are fiery in flavor, while less pungent but white pepper is great for use in sauces and neutral-colored foods.
Black and White Pepper – September Featured Ingredient
Now when to use either Black or White Pepper – September Featured Ingredient? Described as a workhorse in the kitchen is a statement I totally agree with. My kitchen s never without pepper of any kind. So does it matter if you switch between both black and white pepper in cooking? If using pepper in large amounts, yes it does.Black pepper is more aromatic and spicy in flavor while the taste of white pepper is more floral and earthy to note. Take this note into consideration when cooking with both peppers.
Black and White Pepper – September Featured Ingredient
White pepper has less heat and complexity and an all together different flavor profile. I personally don’t recommend using black pepper where white pepper is called for in a recipe. If you’re looking for that sharp bite of pepper in your recipes use black pepper. Some use white because it doesn’t show in light-colored dishes like white sauces as you will see the flecks of black pepper. Use white pepper in mashed potatoes, shrimp dishes, hot and sour soup, fondue, and even ice cream. Brazilian and Asian soups tend to call for white pepper in their recipes.
Black and White Pepper – September Featured Ingredient
The next time you make white sauce for mac and cheese or creamy sausage gravy for topping those biscuits, give white pepper a try. Distinguish the tastes of both black and white pepper for yourself. If I come to visit your kitchen I bet I’ll find both peppers in your spice cabinet. Don’t just take my word for it, grab both on your next grocery trip. Go ahead, be adventurous, experiment a little.
Happy Cooking!
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