White Pepper

[Shel_B]

What do you use it for? Do you use it frequently? Do you have a dedicated grinder for your white pepper? Do you use a different grind than when using black pepper? Do you use it ground or whole? What kind of white pepper do you use - Sarawak, Muntok, Penja, or ... ?

[weinoo]

1. Seasoning

2. No

3. Yes

4. No

5. Whole - otherwise why would I have a dedicated grinder?

6. All of the above.

[rotuts]

I don't bother w White alone. as you know WP is peeled whole ( black ) pepper.

'center seed'

its generally used in white sauces and white items ( like mashed pot's ) so you don't think the mice and rats in the basement ran

through your dinner.

takes the French to figure this out. just should'da gotten rid of the mice and rats.

Penzeys has fantastic whole white if you really want to find out what fresh ground WP is really like

you need to try something of this caliber and grind it fresh

http://www.penzeys.com/

most whole white pepper sold in supermarkets is stale and flavorless. won't comment on pre ground.

fresh ground white pepper is more about heat than complex flavor, which is in the black part.

Edited February 11, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[Mjx]

Isn't white pepper used in the same way as black pepper, but for those dishes in which little black flecks would cause the same level as horror as one experiences when seeing someone use the fish fork for the entree?

ETA hat-tip to PG Wodehouse.

[Shel_B]

Isn't white pepper used in the same way as black pepper, but for those dishes in which little black flecks would cause the same level as horror as one experiences when seeing someone use the fish fork for the entree?

ETA hat-tip to PG Wodehouse.

White pepper has a somewhat different flavor profile than black pepper, and some people, myself included, use it for dishes other than when you don't want black flecks. Examples: Fresh ground white Penja is very nice in soups made with root vegetables or tubers. I've mixed it with black pepper in a Cacio e Pepe ...

[rotuts]

interesting

"" I've mixed it with black pepper ""

my white pepper / black pepper mix comes pre-mixed 'at the factory' in whole black pepper-corns ...

just saying ...

[Shel_B]

I don't bother w White alone. as you know WP is peeled whole ( black ) pepper.

'center seed'

its generally used in white sauces and white items ( like mashed pot's ) so you don't think the mice and rats in the basement ran

through your dinner.

takes the French to figure this out. just should'da gotten rid of the mice and rats.

Penzeys has fantastic whole white if you really want to find out what fresh ground WP is really like

you need to try something of this caliber and grind it fresh

http://www.penzeys.com/

most whole white pepper sold in supermarkets is stale and flavorless. won't comment on pre ground.

fresh ground white pepper is more about heat than complex flavor, which is in the black part.

Perhaps you misunderstood the intent of my questions. I'm quite familiar with white pepper, and was looking for new and interesting ideas in how to use it. I often get my pepper from http://www.pepper-passion.com/

[Shel_B]

interesting

"" I've mixed it with black pepper ""

my white pepper / black pepper mix comes pre-mixed 'at the factory' in whole black pepper-corns ...

just saying ...

Perhaps you may not fully understand the differences between white and black pepper. To make white pepper, berries are ripened past the point where they would be harvested for use as black pepper. They are then are soaked in water for several days until the black husk come loose and then the white centers are dried in the sun. This different processing changes the flavor and heat of white pepper, therefore, mixing black and white pepper together affords a flavor profile that cannot be had with black peppercorns alone.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Shel_B (log)

[MikeHartnett]

Omelettes, Thai-style, with caramelized turnips and soy.

[Martin Fisher]

Definitely a different flavor profile than black.

What do you use it for?

Various things, but mostly sausage.

Do you use it frequently?

Yes.

Do you have a dedicated grinder for your white pepper?

Yes.

Do you use a different grind than when using black pepper?

No.

Do you use it ground or whole?

I can't remember ever using it whole.

What kind of white pepper do you use - Sarawak, Muntok, Penja, or ... ?

Penzey's Sarawak and Muntok.

[huiray]

1. Seasoning

2. No

3. Yes

4. No

5. Whole - otherwise why would I have a dedicated grinder?

6. All of the above.

1. Seasoning.

2. Yes.

3. Yes.

4. Varies, depends on what food i am putting it on.

5. Whole, in the grinder, to give ground. Whole corns in some stews/braises/other dishes.

6. Doesn't matter much. What is more important is that white and black pepper (in general) have different flavor profiles.

ETA1: On the whole I think I use more white pepper than I do black pepper. Perhaps because I cook in a "Chinese idiom"/"SE Asian idiom" more often than not, and have a corresponding preference for that group of cuisines. Black pepper seems to be more common in Western/European cuisine?

ETA2: It seems Jacques Pepin uses basically only black pepper and eschews white pepper as "having no taste", so I gather. I completely disagree. Folks who think Pepin is the Culinary God Of All Gods might not care to think otherwise of white pepper - I can only say that millions and millions of people think a little differently.

ETA3: I still have a can of pre-ground black pepper in my cupboard but it tends to sit there. Perhaps I haven't thrown it out yet because I "might run out of whole pepper" on occasion. I don't think I've had pre-ground white pepper in my larder for many years.

Edited February 11, 2014 by huiray (log)

[jmacnaughtan]

Generally, black pepper should be used just to finish dishes, it can become too bitter with prolonged cooking.

I generally keep a pot with 10:1 fine sea salt: white pepper for seasoning as I go. It works well for me.

Edited February 11, 2014 by jmacnaughtan (log)

[mm84321]

I always use white peppers in chicken stocks and most of my meat sauces. Muntok is nice for that. I recently bought some Kampot pepper, which I love. I think the flavor works great with foie gras, so I used it to season a terrine I recently prepared. I always use white pepper for terrines, mashed potatoes, sometimes with fish as well. It works nicely with more delicate wild mushrooms, like girolles. Penjab is very nice for a court bouillion to cook shellfish.

[Paul Bacino]

I love white pepper in my Hot and Sour Soups!!

[basquecook]

I use to love white pepper.. I still might! The wife hates it and when I met her, I stopped using it in my recipes.. Smell your white pepper right now, it smells like horses.. It doesn't taste like horses but, it smells like horses and she can't get passed that..

[judiu]

Huiray, re this:

ETA3: I still have a can of pre-ground black pepper in my cupboard but it tends to sit there. Perhaps I haven't thrown it out yet because I "might run out of whole pepper" on occasion. I don't think I've had pre-ground white pepper in my larder for many years.

Please, throw it out! It tastes only of hot dust by now, and isn't worth what you paid for it! Nasty stuff! What ever you can dredge up from th bottom of the mill will be, at least marginally, better!

[OliverB]

I have a seperate grinder, use it not all that often. Mainly when I don't want black flecks. Lacks the piney flavor or black pepper. I used to buy mixes, but the black tends to overpower all the other colors. Whole white is not easy to find in stores and way more expensive than black. I guess I could order it, but usually I have enough and then find some again if I run out. In a bind, I use black on the finest grinder setting. Flavor is different, but not pronounced enough that it would affect a dish in any way IMO. I love pepper, but once something starts to taste of pepper mostly it's a fail for me.

Don't have a clue what kind of white pepper I might currently have, I tend to buy it at ethnic stores. Never use it whole. Same with black, the only time I use black whole is to infuse a stock or something, where I want to remove the pepper pieces afterwards.

I have a whole bunch of other peppers in grinders too, fun stuff to play with. Salts and peppers take up a bit of space in my laboratory :-)

[Blether]

Fishcakes, because it's what I grew up with, and lorne aka square aka sliced sausage.

[Paul Bacino]

I use to love white pepper..  I still might!   The wife hates it and when I met her, I stopped using it in my recipes..  Smell your white pepper right now, it smells like horses.. It doesn't taste like horses but, it smells like horses and she can't get passed that.. 

I went for it...

I drink a fair amount of wine..so I look for those, minute background nuances..

I can see your point in the aroma.

Here is the kicker.....my wife has a better palate and sense of smell. Then. Me......

So maybe they are trying to tell us something

[FeChef]

I love black pepper. I put it on just about everything, even some desserts. But i absolutely can not stand the smell of white pepper. My sense of smell is not very good, but i can detect white pepper if its in something.

[Martin Fisher]

I think in smells of barnyard....rotundone is the culprit.

Good article by Harold McGee:
What’s the Peppery Note in Those Shirazes?

[janeer]

I am a big fan of white pepper. I use it as others do in white sauces, in force eats and terrines, in meat sauces and mushroom dishes, all kinds of puréed vegetable soups. But I also use it in baking, especially with cardamom and vanilla, for cookies, cakes, some fruit fillings. I mostly use it finely ground.

[annabelle]

It sounds as if there isn't much white pepper privilege in this crowd. ; )

[ChrisZ]

Not sure if this has been a global trend, but salt & pepper squid has become very popular down here over the last 10 - 15 years. I think I remember a local celebrity chef joking that it should be our national dish. You see it on menus everywhere - pubs, lunchtime cafes, etc etc.

Most recipes are pretty simple and just call for deep fried squid to be dusted with salt & white pepper. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that salt & pepper squid consists of salt, pepper and squid. However limiting yourself to only those 3 ingredients gives you a bland result that doesn't taste anything like what you get in an Asian restaurant.

After much experimenting, I found this recipe to be divine. Messy, but results are well worth it. It doesn't actually use white pepper, but a few other things that really make a difference. And the directions on how to fry the squid with cornflour also give much better results that the standard deep-fry batter.

The white pepper I have was bought in powdered form specifically for squid, I keep it in an airtight jar.

Edited February 12, 2014 by ChrisZ (log)

[liuzhou]

I've never bought the "white pepper doesn't leave unsightly specs in your food" thing.

If that were even true, it would be totally overlooking that it tastes very different from black pepper.

My major objection is that white pepper isn't white! It may not leave 'black' specs, but it certainly leaves visible grey specks. I remember one BBC food programme from years back when a 'celebrity' chef came out with this chestnut while making scrambled eggs. His added white pepper was just as visible as black pepper would have been, as was the fact that he had totally over-cooked the eggs. They seemed dessicated.

Long before the Portuguese brought chilli peppers to China from the Americas, places like Sichuan and Hunan were using white pepper for its heat rather than taste, and to this day white pepper is still more common in Chinese cuisine.