Peppercorns
come in distinctly different varieties, colours, intensities and flavour
profiles to the standard grinds in tabletop pepper mills making them suited to
different dishes... think succulent steak in green peppercorn sauce, pink
peppercorns on tuna carpaccio, or white pepper in a bechamel sauce.
We
take a closer look at how to distinguish between some useful different types of
peppercorn and why we should make space for them in our spice racks.
Types of Peppercorns
The
commonly found trio of black, white and green peppercorns all come from the
same flowering vine, they are just harvested at various stages of growth, while
other types of peppercorns come from other plants altogether.
Black Peppercorns
Undoubtedly
one of the most famous spices in the world, ground black pepper is the
ubiquitous spice most commonly found in everyday seasoning alongside salt.
However,
not all black peppercorns were created equal. Black peppercorns are grown in various
spice growing regions, from Sarawack (Malaysia) to Talamanca (Ecuador) and take
on different characteristics depending on where they were grown in the world.
White Peppercorns
Perhaps
rather confusingly, white peppercorns are actually black peppercorns with the
outer casing removed once they have been soaked in water. They have a more
intense flavor than black peppercorns, with earthy undertones.
White
peppercorns are ideal for use in white sauces, souffles, mashed potatoes and in
any paler food where black peppercorn grinds would distract from the dish.
Green Peppercorns
Green
peppercorns are the immature and unripe peppercorns harvested from the same vine
as white and black and dehydrated or preserved, with a resulting mild flavor.
They’re
aromatic, with a fresher, fruitier flavor than white or black pepper and are
usually pickled to preserve them for longer.
Try
this recipe for stuffed tomatoes with green peppercorns or strawberry jelly
with green peppercorns.
Pink Peppercorns
Misleadingly,
these delicate peppercorns are not actually peppercorns atall but berries from
a South American shrub. You won't find them in a peppermill as their fragility
and softness make them best scattered into salads or onto finished dishes where
their sweet-sharp and delicate flavor also compliments seafood and lighter
sauces.
Szechuan Peppercorns
Likewise,
szechuan peppercorns are not from the pepper family but a dried berry from the
Szechuan province of China.
More
aromatic Sichaun pepper is the berry of the mountain ash tree, with a pungent
flavor unlike the usual heat of a peppercorn.
Long Peppercorns
This
unusual looking peppercorns are easily identified by their unusual shape.
Hotter than standard black peppercorns they are also very aromatic. While
they're not so easily found in western cuisine, they're commonly called for in
Indian, Nepalese, North African, Malaysian, and Indonesian cuisine.
By Holly Cole/
FDL