Season to Taste II: Demystifying Salt & Pepper

- Black pepper is generated from almost ripe fruits from the pepper bush. These are fermented (developing their black color), and dried at a moderate temperature.

- White pepper comes from the same fruit, but is allowed to fully ripen. Its outer hull is removed.

- Green peppercorns, also from the same fruit, are harvested when still very unripe. They are not fermented, however, and are either pickled or quick dried.

- Pink peppercorns do not come from the pepper bush, but are rather unrelated berries which are freeze dried or packed in brine.

Black pepper is the pepper of choice except in certain specific circumstances. White pepper is hotter, but has less flavor as it loses certain aroma compounds when it ripens. Some chefs never use it, while others use it primarily to avoid black specks in lightly colored cream soups or sauces. Green peppercorns are used for their unique flavor; they only have a mild pungency and slightly herbal flavor. They can be added whole, having an impact much like capers. Pink peppercorns are usually added in a peppermill for appearance; they have a mild flavor and can cause illness in large quantities.

There are two varieties of pepper to look for. Malabar is the best of the mass-produced peppercorns, while Tellicherry is considered more flavorful. In any event, pepper does lose its pungency and flavor fast, so using only freshly ground pepper will make a significant difference.

For comprehensive information on pepper, and indeed on any spices and herbs, I refer you to Gernot Kalzer's Spice Pages at

http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/e...

For more information on salt, Cook's Thesaurus has a good article at

http://www.foodsubs.com/Salt.html

For an excellent mail order source of spices, along with recipes and explanations, see Penzey's Spices at http://www.penzeys.com

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