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Questions tagged [pepper]

Questions about black/green/white pepper, whether ground or as whole peppercorns.

Pepper, commonly referred to by the color of the peppercorns (black, green, white), is a spice regularly used in cooking. While originally from India, it is considered a kitchen staple in most of the world, and is regularly paired with salt - "salt and pepper". It is a member of family Piperaceae and is unrelated to the New World nightshade family of "chili peppers".

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White pepper vs. black pepper

Other than color, what is the difference between white pepper and black pepper? I thought it was purely a color thing so that black pepper wouldn't ruin the color of, say, a white sauce. We tried white pepper in a few dishes and in all cases, they…
Dinah
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Why are salt and pepper the "classic" dinner table seasoning?

Is there a reason we use salt and pepper on so many dishes and they can be found in any kitchen table at dinner time? Does it have to do with their flavor synergies, or were they just more available "back in the day"?
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Is seeding peppers a must when making hot sauce

I'm trying my hand at a homemade hot sauce using some habaneros and every recipe I've seen calls for unseeding them. I'm not particularly worried about making the sauce too hot, so I'm wondering if I can keep the seeds and whether that would change…
Steeve B
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Could you smoke a sauce?

I want to add smoke flavour to a somewhat runny pepper sauce. I thought of letting it simmer on the barbeque and also have some wood chips in water to provide lots of smoke. Keep the lid of the pot off and just put the lid of the weber on. Can you…
Neil Meyer
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Why whole peppercorns?

Some recipes call for whole peppercorns. Why not crack them and use a lot less? In a cooking show I watched recently the host specifically said "Do not crack or grind them" but he did not explain why. The only reason I can think of is to make it…
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How can I remove whole peppercorns from a sauce after cooking?

I've heard that whole black pepper is put in sauces for flavour, but it is not supposed to stay there in a finished dish, because it's quite unpleasant to bite on one during a meal. But how does one remove all of it from a sauce / gravy, especially…
Andrew Savinykh
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Would there be a difference between boiling whole black peppercorns or fine ground black pepper in a stew?

When putting whole black pepper in a stew e.g. curry, am I right in thinking that they completely dissolve because I don't remember seeing any in the finished pot or dish. I was reading alternatives to using chilli and black pepper was listed so I…
James Wilson
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Why put pepper on a dish before cooking?

(Almost?) every good recipe for searing/grilling steaks advises to season the steak with salt and pepper before cooking it. However, I’m reasonably sure that pepper is extremely sensitive to heat and quickly loses all its flavour. Other recipes also…
Konrad Rudolph
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In a recipe, how much is "to taste"?

A lot of recipes I've been preparing lately often list salt and black pepper as "to taste" in terms of quantity. I get that the general idea is to make the food taste good, but I'm not sure that I regularly notice salt or pepper unless there is TOO…
Jonathan Campbell
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Can you substitute capers for green peppercorn?

Can you substitute capers for green peppercorn? I'm making a sauce for a roast.
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Substitute Cayenne Pepper for Black Pepper

My recipe calls for Black Pepper. I have Cayenne Pepper. What ratio should I use to substitute to get approximatively the same "heat"? I realize that the result won't be quite the same. I am fine with that.
Matthew Scouten
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Why is black pepper both grey and black?

A container of black pepper seems to have both black and greyish bits. Why is this the case? Shouldn’t it all just be black?
James Wilson
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Does peppers (capsaicin) actually burn?

I know that capsaicin just triggers a receptor TRPV1 that senses heat. Therefore makes you feel pain. But, my question is, is it just a fake sensation or there is real heat involved? Scenario 1 Eating spicy food in winter makes you feel warm. Does…
Roo Tenshi
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How to make the pasta in this TV show (Anthony Bourdain in Rome)?

I'm talking about the one served on a parmesan crust bowl, but that's not all. Besides the parmesan bowl (they only showed the chef melting grated parmesan and then molding it), what kind of pepper did he use? What else do I need to know to make…
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What is the best way to find a reliable pepper mill?

After someone posted a link to a hand-turned coffee grinder, I was reminded that I needed to replace my pepper mill. My third one in about seven years. After reading the 1 through 4 star (and skimmed 5 star) reviews of mills from $12-45, they often…
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