Pepper is the most common spice in use, and it is the third most common ingredient behind water and salt. It originally only came out of India, but is now also cultivated in many other countries as well.It has uses other than for cooking, but for this cache, I will be focusing on its use in the culinary arts. Following are some of the different types of peppercorns, and the types of foods, or cuisines they are commonly used in.
Pink or Rose Pepper: used whole in nouveau cuisine dishes or mixed with other varieties for general use. The flavor is most similar to that of Black Pepper
Green peppercorns: French, Creole and some Thai cooking
White Peppercorns: sauces, soups, potatoes and beverages There are 4 different varieties of white peppercorns
Red Peppercorns: (not to be confused with red pepper flakes) extremely rare and not presently imported into the USA to my knowledge.
Black peppercorns: are the most popular, and is most likely a blend of these that you have in your own cupboard at home. With several varieties, here are some of them with their names indicating their origin: Malabar, Tellicherry, Sarawak, Black Lampong, Vietnamese, Talamanca, Del Caribe, Madagasacar, Kampot, Pohnpei, Penja Black,
Szechuan peppercorns: not a true pepper but a berry which goes well with fish, chicken and duck, or any dish where a spice heat is desired
Many popular places to eat will boast their particular blend of spices that makes their food “SPECIAL” The proprietor of one of them informed me that of the 15 spices in their “special blend” 9 of them are different kinds of peppers. That’s all he would give up of the secret.