These days peppercorns are so common that you may have a hard time imagining that at one time pepper was a luxury worth much more than it’s weight in gold. But it’s true. For most of history, peppercorns have been one of the most valuable spices on the face of the planet.
So what changed that? Ease of travel and transport has been the major reason peppercorns went from valuable to mundane. We no longer have to transport the spice through dangerous and demanding journeys. Lucky for us, because that means we get to enjoy pepper on our every day tables without breaking the bank.
There are four types of peppercorns, black, white, green and pink. We’ll take a look at how each kind of peppercorn is produced.
Black Peppercorns
Black peppercorns are the most common type. Chances are if you have pepper on you table and you are in the U.S., it’s black pepper. Black peppercorns are harvested from the Piper Nigrum vine. The peppercorns are picked while they are still green but close to being ripe and then laid out to dry. As they dry, they take on their black color. Black peppercorns are sharper and have a stronger flavor than any of the other peppercorns.
White Peppercorns
White peppercorns are the second most common type. If you live in Europe and you have pepper on the table, chances are it’s white pepper. White peppercorns are also from the Piper Nigrum vine. For white peppercorns, the peppercorns are picked a few weeks later than black peppercorns are. They are soaked in water and then their husks are removed. Then they are laid out to dry. The removal of the husks allows the scent of the peppercorn to become stronger and also takes a bit of the peppercorn’s bite away. The result is a milder but more aromatic pepper.
Green Peppercorns
Green pepper corns are immature peppercorns off the Piper Nigrum vine. They are picked several weeks before black peppercorns are. Traditionally, green peppercorns are pickled rather than dried, but with so much demand these days for new gourmet products, green peppercorns are now also dried and sold for pepper mills. Green peppercorns have a fruity flavor and are more tart that spicy.
Pink Peppercorns
While pink peppercorns are called pink peppercorns, they are in fact not peppercorns at all. They are the fruit of a shrub called Schinus terebinthifolius. They have very little flavor and are added to peppercorn mixes more for decoration than for the taste.
So, next time you go to grind a pepper mill filled with a few peppercorns, remember that the amount in your pepper mill was at one time probably worth more than your yearly salary.