Real Food Encyclopedia | Black Pepper and Peppercorns

Black pepper, ubiquitous in table shakers and takeout packets, comes from unripe peppercorns that have been briefly cooked and dried. But it isn’t the only spice to come from the black pepper plant (Piper nigrum): The raw, ripened fruits are dried and ground into white pepper, while the raw unripe fruits become the more vegetal green pepper. Pickling or other preservation methods can also produce red peppercorns from the ripe fruits. Pepper of all kinds has been a commodity since ancient times, and once commanded incredibly high prices. Like other commodities that were once considered luxuries, pepper is so common today that we forget its past reputation as a spice of kings. However, that may be changing as demand for pepper rises and climate change affects the areas where the vine usually thrives.

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What to look for when buying peppercorns

Sometimes pepper is just called “black peppercorns,” but you might sometimes see some more elaborate or specific names in your grocery aisle or specialty food store. Two of the most famous pepper growing regions are Malabar and Tellicherry in India, producing some of the finest black pepper in the world. Other names you may encounter in the market are Sarawak from Malaysia and Lampong from Sumatra. Kampot pepper from Cambodia recently received protected status.

Peppercorns come in four colors: black, green, white and red. Black peppercorns, the most common, are harvested ripe, fermented and then dried, producing the characteristic wrinkled black surface. Some are blanched in boiling water first before drying. Green peppercorns, however, are harvested unripe and either brined or dried, retaining their characteristic color. White peppercorns are the dried peppercorn seed, the skin having been removed after soaking in water for a week. If you come across pink peppercorns, note that they are not from the same plant as P. nigrum. Instead, they are from the Peruvian peppertree (Schinus molle), which is a member of the cashew family. Despite the name, Sichuan peppercorns are not botanically related to P. nigrum either.

Regardless of color, whole peppercorns will have much more flavor and aroma than their pre-ground counterparts, which quickly lose their taste. It’s tempting to buy spices in bulk, but for the freshest taste, it’s a good idea to buy peppercorns whole in small quantities and grind them as you need them.

Sustainability of peppercorns

Pesticides and peppercorns

Most black pepper is produced by smallholder farmers in the countries mentioned above, who often mix peppercorn production in with cultivation of other food-producing crops, and indeed, “The Oxford Companion to Food” notes that peppercorn vines are often grown up other trees, such as palm and mango, on mixed plantations. In some cases, pesticides are used to control root rot and other problems common to Piper nigrum. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) tested pesticide residues on a number of different spices; they found residues of several different types of pesticides in both black and white pepper samples.

If you’re worried about pesticides or production practices, it is possible to find organic, fair trade, and sustainably grown black pepper in the spice aisle at many groceries and health food stores.

Pepper and human rights

Peppercorns are grown mainly in Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and India by small farmers who receive low prices for their goods despite the relatively high price of pepper on the international market. In bad years, this leaves farmers vulnerable to poverty and malnutrition, and many are the victims of exploitative and risky loans.

A recent survey of pepper farms in Vietnam found some issues with child labor. While rules preventing child labor exist in Vietnam, they aren’t always enforced, leaving children in potentially dangerous jobs harvesting and processing peppercorns.

Peppercorn seasonality

As a dried product from the tropics, peppercorns are available year-round without differences in quality.