The plant:
The pepper plant grows in organic-rich soil and is a climbing plant and are found primarily in India's Malabar Coast, the Malaysian portion of Borneo, and Indonesia's island of Sumatra.

The peppercorn
in history:
During Roman times, pepper was expensive and widely used - often as currency. As with any other supply and demand situation, its cost reduced as it became easier to ship to Europe. It was still one of the most popular and profitable import trades in the Middle Ages as it became used in daily cooking.  Today, pepper accounts for one-fifth of spice trade.

We're all familiar with the standard black peppercorn that is so popular in the United States and throughout the world. For many, nothing can beat the flavor of fresh ground pepper from a mill.  For those of us that are a bit more adventurous, we enjoy white, green and pink peppercorns - and even gourmet peppercorn blends in our daily cooking.

Types of peppercorns:
Black pepper is produced from the unripe berries of the pepper plant - and they get their black color from their dried fruit surrounding an inner seed. They dry by the sun or by machine for several days.  White peppercorns are the seeds inside the black peppercorns that are removed from the fruit before it dries - then drying the seed.  Green peppercorns are also made from the unripe berries but instead of being dried, they are treated to maintain their color. Dried pink peppercorns are actually berries from an invasive plant and they have a sweeter flavor than true peppercorns. There are true peppercorns that are pink, but they are extremely rare and are usually found bottled like capers.

In Europe, white pepper is used more often than black while in the U.S. white pepper is used in white sauces and mashed potatoes.  White pepper does taste different from black since the outer fruit layer was removed.

Peppercorn uses:

Black Peppercorns, the world's most popular spice. It can be used for meat, poultry, fish, sauces, shellfish, spice rubs and mixes, soups and stews, vinaigrettes, pasta sauces, cheeses and vegetables. More exotic uses including pairing it with strawberries, pineapple, chocolate and baked sweet goods (for a little heat). 

White Peppercorns add heat to dishes where you don't want black flecks such as sauces, etc. Some consider it hotter than black peppercorns. The French have a blend called mignonette that is cracked black and white peppers.

Green Peppercorns (dried) are pungent and hot and work well in peppercorn blends or in sauces for pork and chicken. 

Pink Peppercorns come dried or pickled in brine like capers.  They are most often found in peppercorn mixes and they add a sweet flavor to the foods they're added to - we find that they're good with creamy dishes, seafood, salads with fruit and in a mix, as a crust for steak au poivre.

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