Peppercorn information ii/iii
Yield: 1 Info below
Ingredients:
- 1 Info below
Instructions:
- Peppercorn Substitutes - Peppercorns are used throughout the world, in every kind of cuisine.
Where berries of P. nigrum aren't available, the following peppers or
pepperlike fruits are sometimes substituted.
Cubeb pepper (P. cubeba) also known as the tailed pepper is grown in Indonesia Java Malaysia and the West Indies. It has a burning bitter taste and was the first variety of pepper to travel from Asia to the Mediterranean. It is an ingredient of the Moroccan spice blend called ras el hanout. Long pepper (P. longum) is related to black pepper both botanically
and in taste. The fruit, which grows on a vine similar to that of P.
nigrum, is harvested when green and about an inch long. The flavor is
very much like that of black pepper, though less pungent and slightly
sweet. In the Far East, it is always used whole to flavor stews,
preserves, and pickles. Pink or red peppercorns are from shrubs or small trees (Schinus
spp.), mostly native to South America, which are not related to P.
nigrum. Some species of these trees are grown in warmer parts of the
United States. The fruits have bright red-pink, paper-thin casings
enclosing dark brown berries. The flavor of the berries is mild,
though slightly pungent, with a hint of sweetness. The Food and Drug
Administration, concerned about the allergic reactions of some people
to Schinus berries, removed them from the market for a time in the
early 1980's. Now 'pink peppercorns' from Reunion, an island in the
Indian Ocean belonging to France, are available without any warnings.
We have heard of reactions ranging from rashes to nausea but have not
been able to find information on quantities consumed or profiles of
the victims. Both of us have eaten pink peppercorns occasionally and
in moderate amounts for years without adverse reactions. Those
concerned about possible allergies should consume pink peppercorns
with care (you might try eating _one_ as a test) or avoid them
entirely.
Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum) is also known as Szechuan Japanese or anise pepper or fagara. This deciduous tree or shrub unrelated to P. nigrum is native to Japan Korea and northern China. Each reddish-brown dried fruit contains a bitter black seed which is discarded before use. The dried fruits are a peppery pungent spice an essential ingredient of the Chinese five-spice mixture (which also includes star anise cassia or cinnamon fennel seeds and cloves.)" 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. 45. Posted by Cathy Harned.
