Pepper (black, red, green, white)

 

 

Pepper, Black

            The peppercorn, long grown in tropical Asia, was the main instigator of the profitable spice trade that grew up between the Far East and Europe. In the Middle Ages, Venice and Genoa waxed rich on its revenues; and even earlier, in the fifth century, the Visigoth king Alaric demanded 3,000 pounds of pepper as part of the ransom for Imperial Rome

            Peppercorns grow on vines in clusters of bright red berries. To produce black pepper, unripe berries are picked and sun-dried; the outer skin turns black and hard. Black pepper is widely used to flavor an enormous variety of dishes. It can be irritating to the stomach and intestines and is usually well avoided by those with ulcerous conditions. For those who can appreciate this pungent spice, always grind peppercorns fresh. There is really no excuse for using preground pepper; the difference in taste is incomparable.

Pepper, Green

            This type of green pepper is not the familiar garden vegetable but the fruit of the Piper nigrum plant that yields black and white peppercorns. Green pepper is picked while unripe, and instead of being dried (which yields the hard black peppercorn) it is packed right away in vinegar. The resulting spice is green in color, soft in texture, and subtly pepperish in flavor.

Pepper, Red

            Red pepper is the fruit of an extremely varied group of plants known as the Capsicums. They are native to tropical America and the West Indies and range in taste from sweet and mild to pungent and fiery hot. They are rich in vitamin C and have certain medicinal qualities (see Cayenne Pepper). Red pepper is prepared for cooking by grinding or chopping the dried pepper. Cayenne, paprika, and chili powder are familiar forms of this spice.

Pepper, White

            White pepper, like black pepper, is the fruit of the Piper nigrum vine that was originally native to India and is now widely grown throughout tropical Asia. White pepper is made from ripe, bright red peppercorns, which are soaked to remove the outer coat, then dried, leaving a pale tan hard peppercorn. White pepper is slightly less biting than black and is used primarily to flavor light-colored sauces. Like black pepper, it should be freshly ground for superior results.