Top 5 different kinds of peppercorns [PIPER NIGRUM]

If you are reading this post, you may want to know what are the different kinds of peppercorns; why they are different and how they are processed. As there are varieties of peppers; when I call it peppercorn, it means that it is from the family of Piper Nigrum, not from Genus Capsicum. However, there is one special type of peppercorn which comes from the different pepper origin that I still include in the list. Do you want to know what is it? Let’s find out:

1. Green peppercorns
2. Red peppercorns
3. Black peppercorns
4. White peppercorns
5. Pink peppercorns

Top 5 different kinds of peppercorns

Different kinds of peppercorns – Chu Se Pepper

1, Green peppercorns

Different kinds of peppercorns actually come from the same pepper tree (piper nigrum), but they are harvested in different time.

Green peppercorns are the first peppercorns growing on the pepper branches

Green peppercorns are black peppers when they are unripe. They are picked long before they turn yellow or red.

After harvest, green pepper can be preserved in brine or vinegar, water, or freeze-dried in order to smooth texture and bright color.

When green peppercorns are kept for dry, they need to be used quickly as they don’t last long.

Green peppercorns are not left for sun drying because the sunlight will trigger the pepper’s skins to release an enzyme; therefore, they will turn black.

Green peppercorns give a strong tart punch of flavor but do not linger long in the mouth.

Green peppercorns can be found in many cuisines in Asian countries. In Vietnam, it is the key ingredient to make the hot pot spicy and tasty.

2, Red peppercorns

Red pepper is the ripest berries on the vine and has a brilliant shade of red. Red peppercorns and yellow peppercorns are picked and dried to produce black pepper.

We just use the red peppercorns in a short period of time. It has s sweet and mellow taste in opposition to the pungent taste of the black pepper.

We hardly see red peppercorns in any recipes. The most common red peppers are actually cayenne or red chili.

There are different kinds of peppercorns. They have different colors depending on how they are processed, dried and when they are picked.

3, Black peppercorns

Black peppercorns are the most common peppers and the world’s most traded ingredients. They have the strongest, most pungent flavor and can be used in cuisine or medicine.

Black peppercorn is a round grain that has a black shell and is harvested in spring in Vietnam.

When the pepper berries are ripe or half-ripe (in yellow or red color), they are picked manually. After that, the berries are sun-dried. As they dry, the berries release an enzyme which turns the color of berries into dark color.

There are different kinds of black pepper forms; whole, broken, and ground.

According to an experiment for measuring the quality of pepper, Vietnamese pepper has intense aroma but mild flavor. “Strong” was the dominant note on smell, with suggestions of fruit, citrus, and even fennel. The mellow taste evokes black tea, smoke, and wood, but it isn’t too hot.

4, White peppercorns

The United States is one of the largest consumers of black pepper and also the biggest customer of Vietnamese pepper exporters.

On the other hand, Europeans prefer the white pepper than black pepper.

Therefore two ways to manufacture white peppercorns:

We harvest the ripe peppers then give them a short water bath to remove the skins out of the corns. After that, we dry them under the sun. The pepper’s skins are removed to avoid peppers turning black as the pepper skins cannot release an enzyme to change the pepper color. During the drying process, the ripe peppers become white.

Another way to make white pepper is that we pick the green berry, then soak it for several days until the outer layer is rubbed off. We just use the peppercorns for sun drying.

White peppercorns are actually black pepper whose skins have been removed. Therefore, we can say that white peppercorns are actually the seeds of the fruit.

In all different kinds of peppercorns, white peppercorns are special as they are actually the seeds of peppercorns.

White peppercorns are less pungent and more earthy in flavor than black peppercorns.

They are preferable to be chosen to put in white sauces, cream soups, fish, poultry, grilled meats and mashed potatoes because they don’t visibly stand out like black pepper.

White pepper has naturally grey color. If it is white, the pepper may be chemically treated.

5, Pink peppercorns

Pink peppercorn is the peppercorn I want to talk about at the beginning of this post. This is a special peppercorn which is different from the others.

A Pink peppercorn is not actually the berry of the same tree as green pepper, black pepper, or white pepper (Piper nigrum).

It is from the family of Schinus molle commonly known as the Peruvian pepper tree, or its relative the Brazilan pepper tree called Schinus terebinthifolius.

Pink peppercorns have such name because they are similar to peppercorns. They have the same shape and size as the black peppercorns. However, they have a lighter pepper-like flavor when used as a spice.

In conclusion

A lot of information about different types of peppercorns may confuse you, I created a short explanation of how to distinguish them.

Here we go:

How to distinguish different kinds of peppercorns

Bonus

I really appreciate your time to read this post discussing different kinds of peppercorns. I hope this post is useful for you. Addition to that, I would like to give you two bonuses.

1. Difference between ground pepper and light berry
2. How to measure the quality of a peppercorn

Difference between ground pepper and light berry

Ground pepper

When whole black or white pepper is ground, it becomes ground pepper and we normally use the ground pepper to add to our foods.

Why is ground pepper cheaper than black pepper?

In the market, whole pepper is generally more expensive than ground pepper.

The reason is that ground pepper is often mixed with some ingredients such as extraneous matter, broken berry, and light berry

Some pepper manufacturers add chemicals to the products to increase the weight.

Cheap ground pepper is usually less fragrant, and less spicy than the pepper we grind directly from the whole peppercorn.

Therefore, if you want to enjoin the authentic taste of pepper you should buy whole peppercorns, then grind them. It is healthy and more delicious.

Light berry

Light berry is picked or dropped from the trees when the pepper is still young. Due to the early harvest, the peppercorn is still soft.

When it is dried under the sun, the corn contracts to just a small size. Therefore, the light berry has the high percentage of the shell rather than the corn.

Light berry is cheap. Some pepper producers mix light berry with whole black pepper and sell as whole black pepper.

Additionally, they also grind the mixture of light berry and whole black pepper together. If you are not familiar with the pepper taste, you may not recognize whether it is the whole black peppers or the combination of light berry and whole black peppers.

Therefore, we need to know how to distinguish the different kinds of peppercorns in order to recognize the whole peppercorns and the mixture.

How to measure the quality of a peppercorn

Moisture

The quality of black pepper depends on how it is dried. High-quality peppercorns have consistent color, appearance, aroma, and pungency.

Sundry is considered as the best method for drying pepper. As peppercorns are dried, the moisture content of black pepper decreases from about 77% to 11%.

What is the G / L (Gram/litter) – the standard of high-quality pepper?

Gram/litter or G / L is the standard of measuring the pepper quality.

When a supplier buys peppercorns from the farmers, they use this measurement to classify the pepper quality as well as price.
G/L (a gram per liter) means how many grams of peppercorns are present in one liter.

Peppercorns are put into a container of one liter, then weighted up. The heavier the peppercorns are, the better quality.

It is easily noticed that the light or broken berries show very low G/L as the corns are light. Therefore, they are sold with cheap price.

Traders usually evaluate pepper quality as follows:

Classification G / L Weight

• Light berry 250 – 300 G / L
• Lowest quality mixed berry 300 – 350 G / L
• Low quality mixed berry 350 – 400 G / L
• Mixed berry 400 – 480 G / L
• Export mixed berry 500 G / L
• Black peppercorns I: 530 – 550 G / L
• Black peppercorns II: 560 -600 G / L
• Special black peppercorns: 600 G / L

This information is just relative. Different kinds of peppercorns have different prices.

Fact: Chu Se peppercorns have the highest pepper density (g/l), which is 650 G/L

Tips for choosing peppercorns

Let’s be a smart pepper buyer, do not be treated by the light peppercorns:

• The peppercorns are a relatively uniform color. This is a signature of higher quality as they can provide more consistent flavor.
• The darker the peppercorns are, the tastier.
• Higher-grade peppercorns are usually fresher than their low-grade counterparts.

Read more articles related to different kinds of peppercorns:

• Where does black pepper come from?
• Top 5 black pepper producers in Vietnam
• Vietnam black pepper history