INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

"Pepper is arguably the most popular seasoning in the world. It has been an
important and precious commodity throughout history, not only flavoring
food, but also serving as currency - or being demanded as ransom - in both
the East and the West.  The ancient Greeks and Romans cooked with it;
peppercorns were so esteemed in twelfth-century England that a Guild of
Pepperers was founded among London merchants; and Marco Polo was impressed
by the large quantity of pepper used in thirteenth-century China.
"Peppercorns are the fruits of a perennial vine, Piper nigrum, which is
native to India and is now grown commercially in eastern Asia, Borneo,
Brazil, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the West Indies. In the
wild, vines may reach 20 feet long, but in commercial cultivation they are
trained on posts 5 or 6 feet tall to simplify harvesting. The plants are
grown for three or four years before they are harvested; once they are
established, the vines continue to bear fruits for 15 to 20 years. The
berries, which are borne in spikes, turn from green to orange and then red
as they mature.  To keep them from dropping, they are harvested before they
ripen fully.
"Black, green, and white peppercorns come from the same plant; the
differences are in the maturity of the berries at the time of harvest as
well as the technique of processing. All contain various oils and resins
and the alkaloid piperine, which gives them their pungency."
"BLACK PEPPERCORNS are harvested in the unripe, green state and left to dry
for seven to ten days.  As they dry, they shrivel and turn dark brown or
black.  Black peppercorns are quite hard and have the strongest flavor of
the three types of P. nigrum berries. Freshly ground black pepper is highly
pungent and aromatic, and can be bitingly hot.
"GREEN PEPPERCORNS, as their name suggests, are also picked when green, but
they are preserved immediately; if they are not, they begin to darken
toward the black pepper stage. For years, green peppercorns were commonly
preserved in brine; today, they are usually freeze-dried. Although they
have a certain tanginess, green peppercorns are less pungent than black or
white ones, and they are usually not as hard and are therefore easier to
crack or grind.
"WHITE PEPPERCORNS are prepared from berries that have been allowed to
ripen almost completely on the vines. The harvested berries are soaked in
water for a day, after which the outer shell is easily removed, leaving a
small gray seed which dries to tannish white. White pepper has a hint of
mustiness and is milder in flavor than black pepper, although still quite
pungent."
From Susan Belsinger and Carolyn Dille's "Peppercorns Around the World"
article in "The Herb Companion." Dec. 1992/Jan. 1993, Vol. 5, No. 2. Pg.
42.  Posted by Cathy Harned.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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