Get to Know Some Less-Known Pepper Varieties

Pepper. This one word can conjure up a lot of things. We know black pepper. And then those with a thing for pepper might know of green peppercorns, white peppercorns and pink peppercorns that come in those "gourmet" blends. And then you have chili peppers. 

Already I have named two that are not pepper, from the family Piperaceae. Neither Pink Peppercorns, nor chili peppers belong to the Piperaceae. Then there are two other less known types of pepper that do belong to the Piperaceae: Long Pepper (Piper longum) and Cubeb Pepper (Piper Cubeba). And there are various other pepper imposters, called "pepper" only because of some vague resemblance: Moula pepper from Hungary (Vitex agnus-castus), also called Chasteberry or Monk's Berry; Melagueta pepper (Aframomum melegueta), also called Grains of Paradise; Sichuan Pepper (from genus Zanthoxylum), also called Sichuan peppercorns.

White, Black, Green, Cubeb and Long Pepper, Pink Peppercorns, Moula & Melegueta

Black, White and Green Peppercorns

Black, white and green peppercorns all come from the same plant, Piper nigrum. The only difference between them is that the berries are picked at different stages of ripening and treated differently to create the differing colors.

Black pepper is the most known and used. Black peppercorns come from the green berries, picked before they fully ripen and dried in the sun until they turn black. You will find it everywhere in pepper shakers. Personally, that pre-ground stuff doesn't even taste like pepper. If you have ever used a pepper grinder with fresh peppercorns, you will immediately know there is no comparison. Excuse my personal rant. But I love pepper, so it is a huge bone of contention. Pepper should be ground fresh. Black pepper is the strongest, particularly if you get larger varieties such as Tellicherry or Malabar. With these better quality peppercorns, there is also an amazing variety of flavors. I buy my Tellicherry peppercorns from Penzey's Spices and they have the loveliest floral and fruity flavors, amid the heat.

White Peppercorns

I have read differing explanations on how the white peppercorns come to be, but in a Penzey's catalog one time it was described as taking the black peppercorns and soaking them, then the outer black coating is rubbed off and the now white inner seed is dried. I have read in other places that white peppercorns come from the fully ripened red pepper berries, where the outsides are washed away and the inner white seed remains. However it is accomplished, white peppercorns are the inner seed of the fruit, but they are the same fruit. The white peppercorns are, of course, very light in color, so they are often used in dishes where black flecks would not be so appealing (think Chicken and Dumplings or Blanquette de Veau!)

Green Peppercorns

Green peppercorns are just that. The green peppercorns are picked when large, but still green, and most often are packed in brine to keep their flavor and freshness. Green peppercorns found dried are more delicate and tend not to retain their green color nor their freshness of flavor as long. In general, they have less heat than black or white peppercorns.

Pink Peppercorns

Pink Peppercorns

Pink "Peppercorns" come from the Baies rose (meaning "pink berry") plant, Schinus molle. The plant is native to the arid zones of South America. This plant is actually a member of the cashew family and can cause allergic reactions for those with tree nut allergies. The pink "peppercorns" this plant produces are very delicate and can be broken or smashed easily. While they are sold mixed in with black, white and green peppercorns in a "Gourmet Mix" of "peppers," on their own, they can be used to flavor fruit pies or fresh fruits, due to their mild heat and fruity quality.

Other Piperaceae: Long Pepper and Cubeb Pepper

Long Pepper

Long Pepper (Piper longum), native to India and sometimes called Indian long pepper, tastes similar to black pepper. Some say it is slightly hotter than black pepper. Long pepper comes in spikes, looking similar to hazel tree catkins. It is actually made up of miniscule fruits embedded into a central spike. Some find it difficult to grind, though simply cutting a spike into smaller segments and then grinding in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle work easily. 

Using this long pepper, it is best added at the end of cooking to appreciate its flavors. Great in Indian curries, lentil stews and 'pickles'. Use it in vegetable dishes such as with asparagus, artichokes or mushrooms. Use it in fruit dishes like over mango or on mango salad. Long pepper is great added to spice rubs and pairs excellently with any pork, beef or lamb dish.

Another cheaper, commercially grown species is Piper retrofactum, from Indonesia. The two are interchangeable, but try the Piper retrofactum in Southeast Asian cooking. Each is used in the place where it grows and enhances that cuisine's dishes.


Cubeb Pepper (Piper cubeba) is mainly grown in Java and Sumatra. Growing

Cubeb Pepper

very similarly to black pepper, in long stems of berries, the main difference is the cubebs have long "tails" which are actually stems still attached. The flavor of Cubeb pepper is described as a cross between allspice and pepper. It is wonderful used in Indian curries and sauces. Use it to flavor cooked vegetables and meats. Use it to flavor pates, sausages, gingerbread or biscuits. Combine it with other warm spices (ginger, nutmeg, cloves) for spice cookies. Use Cubeb pepper as part of ras el hanout spice mixture. There is a recipe for cubeb pepper shortbread found on this site. It is a recipe I really want to try!

Other Non-Pepper Varieties

Sichuan Peppercorns

Sichuan "Peppercorns" (Zanthoxylum) belong to the rue or citrus family and are not really related to pepper at all. The husks of these berries are pink tinged and split open when dried. It is best to look for a reputable spice shop as often these are sold with too many of the gritty black inner seeds and other twigs mixed in with the husks.


Sichuan Peppercorns do not have any of the spicy pungency of black pepper. Instead, it has slight citrusy overtones and creates a tingly numbness in the mouth. Use these to lend flavors to many Chinese dishes. One that I particularly love is Szechuan Hot Sour Cabbage. Sichuan Peppercorns can also be added to sweet biscuits and cakes. Use it in Indonesian and Indian dishes as well.

Melegueta Pepper - Grains of Paradise

Melegueta Pepper (Aframomum melegueta), also known as Grains of Paradise, is from the ginger family of plants and grow in pods, similarly to cardamom. Native to West Africa, these small brown seeds with a little pointy end have an aromatic and spicy bouquet and a pungent, somewhat peppery taste. It is excellent to use either in place of or in conjunction with black pepper. Try using it for steak au poivre. Alton Brown used it in an okra stew and an apple pie recipe. Though related to ginger and cardamom, I find none of these flavors in Melegueta pepper, but the peppery pungency is wonderful.

Moula "Pepper" (Vitex agnus-castus), also known as chasteberry and monk's pepper, is native to the Mediterranean. It is related to Lemon Verbena and Vervain, in the family Verbenaceae. In some places it is referred to Moula of Hungary. Chaste Tree Berries are used more as an herbal remedy these days and can affect hormone production. Be cautious if you are taking hormone medications such as birth control pills, estrogen or if you are pregnant. 

These berries have been used as a pepper substitute, though its flavor is weak by comparison. They have a slightly pungent and bitter taste. There is a noticeable musty earth flavor, reminiscent of aged wine. Possible uses are in spice mixtures such as ras el hanout. Add to meat and vegetable dishes.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Sort of Chicken Curry with Lots of Pepper

I have been making a Pepper Curried Chicken dish for a lot of years. I love pepper, as many might know! Really good quality black Tellicherry Peppercorns have such an amazingly floral bouquet. Having a really good pepper mill is also a real plus, because pre-ground pepper just tastes awful. It really makes me question what might be mixed in with it, because it tastes nothing like the pepper I have come to know.

Pepper Curried Chicken

Pepper and Pepper Grinders

I have two pepper grinders I use all the time. Many pepper grinders do not have mechanisms large enough to accommodate Tellicherry peppercorns. Tellicherry are fully ripened pepper berries, so they are much larger sized and also have the most full flavor. Next down the scale are Malabar, which are not perfectly ripened berries, and just slightly smaller. If you buy whole peppercorns without one of these two labels, they will be imperfectly ripened and much smaller, including many and varied sizes of berry. The two grinders I favor (shown as the first two in the photo here below) have larger grinding mechanisms. 

All My Pepper Mills

One of them, a brass mill shown second in the lineup above, is actually a Turkish coffee grinder, so of course it will easily accommodate the larger pepper berries, which are far smaller than any coffee beans. It grinds exceedingly fine. While it is supposedly adjustable, I have never, ever, tried to change the fine setting. I love this one because it grinds a whole lot of pepper, really, really fast. Twenty-five quick grinds with the handle will give me approximately ½ teaspoon of very fine pepper in no time flat. My husband cannot tolerate coarse pepper. If it gets in his throat he completely loses his breath and coughs like he might die, gasping for air. His sister is the same. I use this fine grind for anything I am cooking, so neither of them have this difficulty.

The other grinder I love is the kind that Mario Batali favored in some of his old shows. It used to be "Vic Firth" brand but this was bought out (apparently), and now is called "Fletcher's Mill". It is widely advertised as a "Mario Batali Pepper Mill". It is the exact same mechanism, in many of the same shapes and sizes of mill body. I love red, so I got myself a pretty red one, in the same shape as the orange one Mario used on his TV shows. This particular one is so simple to adjust and works so well, both grinding a relatively good amount quickly, and grinding to whatever size grind I prefer for the moment, from very fine to very coarse. It will grind Tellicherry peppercorns with no problem. 

I am not affiliated with this product or any distributor in any way - I just love the mill and can vouch for its efficacy through over 10 years of usage.

I have other pepper mills I've accumulated over years, that do less of a good job, either because they grind poorly or just barely grind anything at all. They also will not grind Tellicherry peppercorns, which just get caught up in the mill, and preventing other peppercorns from getting through. I use those other mills for things like all white peppercorns (for occasions where they are needed), and in another one, a mix of green, white and pink (for light meats like chicken, pork or fish), and on like that. 

Caveat: Do not use pepper mills for salt!

There are lots of coarse salts available these days also, but beware! Do not use a pepper mill for salt, as the salt will badly corrode the metal grinding mechanism, and you've spent money for nothing. There are special salt grinders available with a plastic grinding mechanism, so corrosion is not a problem.

On to the Recipe

Fresh Curry Leaves - Murraya koenigii

With as much as I love pepper, the amount of pepper that goes into this dish is just wonderful. I am not sure I have ever seen a recipe using this much black pepper, and if you are leery, just reduce the amount to what might be better tolerated. I used no green hot chilies in the dish last evening, though I usually do (I had none in the fridge), so pepper was the only heat component, and it was lovely. Just the bare mildest sense of spice came through as heat on the tongue. The flavor though, is magnificent. The only particularly "Indian" ingredients, pointing to an Indian curry, are cumin, coriander and turmeric. The rest is just a really great combination of ingredients that make up a wonderful dish for dinner in short order. Last night I happened to have fresh curry leaves on hand, so I used about 12 leaves in the dish, which also made it taste great. If you live anywhere near an Indian market, look for them next time you try Indian. They give a vaguely citrus-like, savory flavor. Each stem holds about 11 to 21 leaflets. Use them fresh. Once dried, they lose most of their flavor. Frozen, however, though they do turn dark, they do retain all their marvelous flavor.

Pepper Curried Chicken

Pepper Curried Chicken

Serves 4

2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons coarsely ground, good quality black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or equivalent thigh meat
2 tablespoons coconut oil, or olive oil if preferred
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 or 2 Serrano chilies, minced, optional
10 to 12 fresh curry leaves, from one stem
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 cups frozen peas
½ cup raw cashews, roasted in a dry pan

Mix together the first 5 ingredients and set aside. Cut the chicken into 1½-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Pour spices over and toss to combine. Set aside while preparing the rest of the dish.

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil and saute the onions until they are a nice golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add in the ginger and garlic (and chilies and curry leaves, if using) and continue to saute for about 30 seconds, or until very fragrant. Add in the chicken and toss to coat. Saute on medium high until the chicken pieces are all beginning to turn brown. Add in the coconut milk and stir. Bring to boil, lower heat to medium low and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Add in the frozen peas and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Family, Food and Fun: Cooking with Family

Guacamole and Chips with tiny tomato roses

Family is very important to me, so our youngest sister turning 50 was an "event." The first of these "turning 50" parties was an utter surprise. The second - almost. And after that, it was just a matter of how much could be kept secret - not the party itself. So for Laura, it was no surprise at all. That said, the ultimate decision on the décor and food was relatively secret. My sister Anita has a real talent for making a table look almost too pretty to touch. I say almost, because all the food was irresistible.


Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Anita had already prepared almost everything, so the rest of us only had assembly work to do prior to the party. I was in that situation myself nearly 10 years ago when I hosted a 50th party for her, so I know the amount of work ahead of time, and sympathize. No matter how much you love doing it, it is still a lot of work, and appreciated. She played taxi service for the 4 of us who do not live nearby, shuttling us to and from the airport.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

The party was a wonderful event, with a lot of the same hilarity that always goes on when we are together. I am so fortunate in my sisters that we all get along well and have so much fun when we are together. Some of the dishes that were prepared were Roast Beef with Gorgonzola Walnut Spread on Flat Out Rosemary Breads, Scallop Ceviche, Guacamole (of course), with tiny "roses" made from cherry tomatoes, Beef Satay, a Boboli with Spinach Dip, topped with Italian 4-cheese blend and baked (yum!), Chicken Stuffed Sweet Peppers, Chiles Rellenos casserole, Curried Pork stuffed into Pita breads, a trifle made with Angel Food Cake and fruits. Diana brought her Sugared Pecans, there was a cheese plate and of course cake! 

Boboli with Spinach Dip

There were two cakes. The party was Zebra themed, and Diana had two zebra photos printed on edible material. One was a colorful picture and was placed onto the red velvet cake. I piped the shell borders. The other, and main cake was a Carrot Cake Cheesecake. This was covered thinly with cream cheese frosting and the zebra closeup photo was placed onto this. Diana also brought zebra striped design peel off applications which we used on the sides of the cheesecake. Again, I piped shell borders. In tune with the zebra themed cake decals, were Anita's zebra decorations and table top decor.


Needless to say, everything was just fantastic. The table was beautiful, including the table outside by the pool. Unfortunately, I have no recipes to include here, except the Boboli. Take a boboli bread, cover it with Spinach Dip, then coat with a 4-cheese Italian blend and bake until hot and cheese is melted. Slice as desired. I never would have thought to bake Spinach Dip, but this was so very good. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Green Peas and Pomegranate Arils

I mentioned the other day that I made a green pea appetizer spread. Oh man, it is so good. I baked a new batch of No-Knead bread just for that. The recipe came from Michael Symon, on The Chew, but I changed it a bit. The ingredients are there, but the amounts are different. As with most recipes, you try something and add a little of this or that. Whatever tastes good. This is the recipe as I made it. It's naturally gluten-free, too.

Green Pea, Feta and Mint Spread

Green Pea, Feta and Mint Spread

1 cup frozen sweet green peas, thawed
3/4 cup feta cheese
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more, as needed
salt and pepper

Thaw the peas under running water. Place them in a food processor with all ingredients except the salt and pepper. Process until well mixed, but still a little chunky. Check to see if salt is needed; the feta cheese might be salty. I put in 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt without tasting and it was too salty, so check first. Add in pepper as desired and process briefly to combine.

Okay, that said, I didn't have any lemons in the house. I usually keep limes rather than lemons, but I didn't even have any limes. What I used was Boyajian Lemon Oil, about 3 drops, cause that stuff is really strong. Do not try using lemon extract or flavoring or it will be awful. This lemon oil, for anyone who has not tried it, is pure oil of the fruit and looks, smells and tastes just like concentrated essence of the zest of the fruit. Three drops was good. I might have been able to use 4 drops, but I stopped while ahead. Next time I will use real lemon zest because I think it will make a spectacular spread just that much better.

Pomegranate Arils

This morning I decided to open up a pomegranate I had gotten a few days ago. I had it on the counter so I would remember and use it. Today was the day. I have liked pomegranate arils in past, but they were a little distractingly crunchy. I don't know if this pomegranate was more ripe, but these were sweet and only minimally crunchy. They were downright delicious. I got all the little arils out. There were two whole cups of them. That was one large pomegranate.

Supremed Grapefruit and Pomegranate Arils for breakfast

By the way, in case you didn't know, those little things are not seeds. Arils are a covering for the seed of some fruits. The aril itself is attached in some way to the plant and the seed is inside the aril covering. Mace is an aril to the nutmeg. The cotton fibers are the aril to the cotton seed.

So there I stood, tasting how sweet those little arils were and thinking I had planned to have a grapefruit for breakfast. I decided to have both. I supremed the grapefruit segments and put some pomegranate arils on top. It was, I believe, one of the prettiest breakfasts I have had.


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.

Pork Loin Roast, Good for Any Occasion

I got an idea a few days ago for making a pork loin roast. I wanted a rub, but what kind? I wanted a little bit of sweet, but not too much, so I used brown sugar. I thought of using cocoa in it, as I love foods using cocoa, not as a sweet element, but in the concept of a mole poblano kind of way. I wanted smokiness, because we both love that, so I put in smoked paprika and Spanish sweet paprika. Then what other things would give the kinds of flavors I was looking for? I add in a lot of freshly ground pepper, because I love pepper, and it gives a little bite. Ginger has a little of its own bite and zip. Coriander seeds give great flavor, and then a little cumin. I added in a little ancho chili powder for a little more zip. I could have added chipotle powder but didn't want it to be too hot for my guests. If I knew guests loved heat with their spice, I would certainly add that in.

I went to work, adding this and that, tasting the outcome to see how it fared. It was really good, so I proceeded with that as my recipe for Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub. 

Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub

Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub

Makes 1⅓ cups rub mix

¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika, preferably Spanish
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika (Pimienta de la Vera)
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
¾ teaspoon ground cumin

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly blended. If storing, use an airtight container and keep in a cool, dry place away from heat or light. 

Then for the pork loin

Loins can end up tough and dry because the meat in the center is so lean. Two things that were crucial in my mind is to get the flavor to the middle of the meat, and to roast it correctly so it would stay juicy and succulent. In order to get flavor to the middle, I decided to cut the 4 1/2 pound roast open in a spiral, so it would lay flat. My reason for this was to rub on a paste of garlic, minced thyme and olive oil to the inside of the roast. I then took 3 or 4 tablespoons of the rub mix and sprinkled it over the paste and rubbed it in. I sprinkled on a couple teaspoons of Kosher salt and rolled the meat back to its original shape. Using kitchen twine, I tied the loin in about 6 places or so to keep it together while it roasted. I rubbed a lot more of the spice rub on the outside and sprinkled with more Kosher salt. I set this in the refrigerator overnight.

Now it was ready for the oven. To roast fast at high temperature or low and slow? I opted for low and slow, setting the oven at 325 degrees. My plan was to roast for an hour, then lay bacon strips over the top of the roast for the remainder of time. I added the bacon too late (it was quite thick sliced), so it didn't even get done before the roast registered 150 on my thermometer. Looking back, I could easily have fried the bacon and laid the strips on the inside of the roast when I was seasoning it, and would certainly try that next time. As it was, I had to fry the bacon a little bit more to get it done completely. I removed the roast when it hit 150 degrees, tented it with foil and left it to rest while I finished preparing the side dishes. My Sweet Cocoa Rubbed Pork Loin Roast came out well flavored, moist and succulent. Just as I hoped.

Sweet Cocoa Rubbed Pork Loin Roast

Succulently juicy and tender, the rub gives rich cocoa and smoky flavor. More smoky-spicy heat could be attained by adding chipotle powder to the rub mix.

Serves 10 to 12

1 (4½ pound) pork loin roast
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
¾ to 1 cup Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub
3 - 4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
4 strips thick sliced bacon, optional
Butcher's twine, for tying

Sweet Cocoa Rubbed Pork Loin Roast

To distribute flavor all through the meat, using a good sharp chef knife, start at the lower edge of the length of the roast and slice in horizontally, about 1-inch up from the bottom, the entire length of the meat, until you are about at 1-inch from the other edge. Leave the bottom flat, lift the center of the meat and slice horizontally again, continuing until the entire piece of meat is approximately 1-inch thick. Do not worry if the meat is not perfectly flat. Lay the meat open.

Mix together the thyme, garlic and olive oil into a paste and spread this over the open meat. Sprinkle on about 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt, then rub in about 4 tablespoons of the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub. At this point, if desired, fry the optional bacon strips and then lay them lengthwise on the meat. Roll the meat back into its original position, and tie at about 2-inch intervals along the length of the meat. Trim ends of the twine.

Sprinkle 6 to 8 tablespoons more of the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub over the entire outside of the roast. Sprinkle on more Kosher salt.

About 2½ - 3 hours before the roast will be served, have the oven at 300 degrees with a rack positioned so the roast will be in the center of the oven. Use a thermometer placed into the center of the meat to monitor the temperature. Place the roast on a rack in a pan and place in oven for approximately 2 - 2¼ hours, or internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. Remove from oven and tent with foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Remove twine, slice into about 1-inch thick slices and serve.


NOTES: I did not use the bacon inside the roast, but instead placed the raw bacon strips, cut in half, over the top of the roast about 1 hour into the roasting time. Doing this again, I will put the bacon inside, allowing each slice to have some rolled inside it.




My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.