Coloured Peppercorns

[pt_tangles]

This is a question to anyone who happens by and knows more about cooking than me (Mattie and Desree, I am looking at you!):

Do colored peppercorns actually taste different than black ones or is it purely an aesthetic thing?

--Phae

Comments

[desree42.livejournal.com]

Yes they do taste different. Just like Red Khoolaid and Blue Khoola... wait not a good example. like Purple Jello and Orange Jello... wait not a good example like.. um...

Anyway yes. They all share a pepper-y flavour because they are all from(dun-DUH!) the same plant. The difference in the level of ripeness in the peppercorn. Much like a underripe grape produces what is called Verjus while an ripe grape can make a wine or welches grape juice and an overripe grape can make the most delightful dessert/late harvest/ice wine.

Black Pepper Corns are picked when green and dired in the sun until black. This results in it having, like any unripe item, a slightly hotter and spicier flavour. White Peppercorns are allowed to fully ripen before being picked and results in a more mild and deeper flavour Green peppercorns are picked unripe(like the black) and resperved thus why the skin stays green.To me they tend to be more herbacious. Red or Pink peppercorns taste similar to the others nad look similar but are actually unrelated and considered a lesser product.

Now that being said how do I use them in the kitchen. Chances are unless you are doing a pepper crusted house made cheese or something in which the flavour of the pepper will play a major part... it really doesn't matter that much which one you use. Black pepper tends to be better for rough grinds, it tends to give a bit more flavour, and it tends to be a bit cheaper. I use this on meats, chunky coloured things, and stuff that you won't notice black specks in. White pepper tends to be a little more subtle and more expensive. I use it, for example, in my pretty white cream sauces so it's all pretty and creamy instead of having black bits in. Which you chose to use it up to you and your circumstances.

All pepper, and this is probably unneccesary to say, benefits from being ground fresh. That shit you get in a little tin(yeah I have some too my mom gave it to me) it's shit. Doesn't have the flavour. You can buy peppercorns cheaper, toast em off in your oven for 5 minutes and then put them in a grinder. It's a totally different(and better) flavour.

[pt_tangles]

I always use a pepper mill. Though, I have never tried toasting them before grinding ... I'll have to give that a try.

--Phae