Is all peppercorn the same?

[trevorgrout]

Hi all,

I have been trying to research something lately and I would like your input.  Obviously freshly ground peppercorn is much better than the pre-ground stuff.  I am wondering if any of you have experience with using different brands/types of peppercorn.  From my research it seems as though certain places in India are known for their outstanding peppercorn.  For example, supposedly tellicherry peppercorn has a much fuller flavor than other cheaper peppercorn.  Since a lot of people just put salt and pepper on their beef, I was wondering if any of you have a preference of what type of pepper they use.

Any input anyone??

 

[Limey]

You should absolutely use tellicherry peppercorns imo. I purchased a pound of them just today from Penzeys who have a store near where I live, but they also sell online and have good products at reasonable prices. The difference between good spices from specialty suppliers vs supermarket products is amazing.

 

[gregbooras]

I buy most of my spices in bulk from myspicesage.com and spicesinc.com. Both are great companies and the spices are fresh and they both have huge selections to select from.

Greg

 

[elkins20]

I also have a penzey's near me. Their spices are fresh and have a very good flavor.

 

[curegeorg]

There are also different color peppercorns.  Green is unripe and usually dehydrated giving a slightly herbal taste IMO.  White is normal peppercorn but the black part is removed giving a hotter taste IMO.  White is preferred mostly for the color not the taste however.  Pink is not actually pepper it just looks similar.  As for black peppercorn, Tellicherry are actually just larger peppercorns that are sometimes hand picked, inspected, etc.  I have not noticed Tellicherry having a different taste than another black assuming it is from the same region at the same time (same pepper just bigger corns).  Black will vary a lot in taste (within the pepper scope) because most you buy in a store you have no idea where it came from.  There's a lot of misinformation on black pepper, but it mostly all comes from India. 

My wife and I just did some peppercorn taste testing as I was experimenting with my brisket rub, naturally she preferred the Sam's Club big shaker black peppercorns from a few years ago.  It was definitely what we both associated with black pepper taste being what you get most places over our middle aged lives...  We did agree on the tastes I mentioned which is what I was expecting from previous experience.

The first step I would take is fresh cracked.  Then try the different peppercorn colors.  Beyond that it depends largely on the supplier, none of their advertising is regulated, so you don't know for sure.  You can also get peppercorns from other regions besides India and naturally the flavor varies - these are usually harder to find as they are not nearly as commercialized.

Enjoy the #1 spice.

 

[Meatball]

I purchased a 1 pound bag of 4 color peppercorns,,,  red , white, green, and black which we use . Anything that calls for pepper
I use the combination and grind in a mortar and pestle.  Always had good results with the fresh ground over store bought.