White pepper: overview, effectiveness, usage, nutritional value.

White pepper is a spice produced from the dried fruit of the pepper plant, Piper nigrum, as is black pepper. It is usually milder than black pepper, with less complex flavor.

 1/ What is white pepper? 

White pepper is made from fully ripe pepper berries. They are soaked in water for about 10 days, leading to fermentation. Then their skins are removed, which also removes some of the hot piperine compound, as well as volatile oils and compounds that give black pepper its aroma. As a result, It has a different flavor and heat component than black pepper. The process used and handling of white pepper can introduce different flavor notes as well.

2/ Whole vs. Ground

Whole peppercorns retain their flavor for much longer, so recipes often advise using freshly ground pepper. The same is true with white peppercorns. If you want the most flavor, grind it fresh before using. Ground white pepper is readily available, but it will lose its potency faster over time. Both ground and whole white pepper go stale faster than black pepper, so be sure to refresh your stock regularly.

3/ What Does It Taste Like?

It has a hot taste on the tongue, although sources differ on whether it is hotter or milder than black pepper. For example, Cook’s Illustrated says it’s milder, while others say it has a sharper bite. Sources agree that white pepper is less complex in flavor than black pepper. It can have a musty, earthy, or grassy flavor, which can vary depending on the type of processing used and handling after production. If you don’t like those notes, you should try a different source of white pepper. With the widespread use of white pepper in Asian cuisine, people may associate it with that flavor profile.

4/ White pepper nutrition

5/ Health Benefits

It is recommended to those suffering from loss of appetite as it enhances appetite and promotes gastrointestinal function. The spice supports to get rid of secretions from airways. It is used to treat constipation as it supports large intestine peristalsis and accelerates metabolism. It has anti-inflammatory effect and also freshens breath. White pepper enhance immune system and tones overall body. It purifies body from harmful substances, also thin blood and promotes circulation. Its regular intake protects from cardiovascular problems and cancers.

6/ Cooking With White Pepper

It should be added after the dish has been cooked, as overheating can release a bitter flavor. It is chosen over black pepper either for appearance (as in creamed soups, vichyssoise, mashed or whipped potatoes, and clam chowder) or because of the difference in heat and flavor, as with Asian dishes.

7/ Storage

Store white pepper in a tightly sealed container away from light. The peppercorns will store longer than ground white pepper, which will lose its flavor and potency after about three months. It won’t spoil and will be safe to use, but you may need more to get the same flavor in your dish. For this reason, it’s wise to purchase ground white pepper in smaller quantities that you will use in a shorter time frame.

8/ Where to Buy?

You can find white pepper in the spice section of your supermarket. It is usually more expensive than black pepper because it takes more processing and less of it is produced.

9/ Recipes With White Pepper

It is often used in Vietnamese soups and pork dishes. Hot and sour soup gets its heat primarily from white pepper, unlike other Szechuan dishes where chilies play a prominent role. It is used in Swedish dishes as well, such as Swedish meatballs with cream sauce and is called vitpeppar in Swedish.

10/ White pepper import/ export

Pepper is the most exported and traded condiment in the international scene.

According to the International Pepper Association (IPC), Vietnam is the largest global pepper producer in 2019. In particular, black pepper production reached about 175,000 tons, white pepper reached 25,000 tons. By 2020, the oversupply situation is forecast to continue, putting pressure on pepper prices. The reason is that, by 2020, the pepper growing area from 2016 to 2017 in major producing countries will be time for high-yield harvest.

Forecast, global pepper price will remain at low level in the first 6 months of 2020. However, by the end of 2020, pepper price may recover when supply – demand returns to the equilibrium.

To solve the problem of supply-demand imbalance in pepper production and export, the representative of the Import-Export Department said that the development of sustainable pepper supply chains, building a linkage platform to enhance the value chain. Processing, exporting pepper in association with raw material areas is crucial. Besides, it is necessary to promote production under the organic process … raising the percentage of white pepper for export to 30 – 40%, pepper powder to 20 % by 2030; diversify products to meet the market of high quality requirements such as organic pepper, red pepper, ground pepper, pepper plastic.

Providing high quality Vietnamese pepper for export. See detailed product description of Black pepper and White pepper