PEPPERCORN INFORMATION I/III

      Title: PEPPERCORN INFORMATION I/III
  Categories: Seasonings, Info
       Yield: 1 Info below
  
       1    Info below
  
                      - Basic and Historical Information -
   
   "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.
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