How well do you know pepper?

When most people in the West talk about pepper, they are referring to ground black peppercorns, but that is only one in a range of spices referred to around the world as pepper. Gastro Obscura takes a closer look at the various peppers found across the globe, which share a few characteristics but have their own unique flavors and sensations.

The photo that introduces the article shows white, black, long, cubeb, grains of paradise, red Sichuan, and green Sichuan peppers, representing a range of shapes but only a few colors: tan, black/gray, and red. While many of the peppers are round (or round-ish), the long pepper stands out, well, because it is long. The English word pepper originally referred specifically to long peppers, which share a flavor profile with black peppercorns because both contain piperine, which gives pepper its “zing”.

Now the world’s most popular spice, black pepper and its variations (green and white) weren’t always sitting at the top of spice popularity. It wasn’t until fairly recently that this became one of the two “default” flavorings that now seem to be inseparable – salt and pepper. Although piper nigrum is used worldwide, it is used differently from one cuisine to another. White pepper is more popular than black pepper in China, while it is used sparingly in Western cuisine.

Sichuan peppercorns are probably the most interesting of the bunch, because they contain a compound called hydroxy-alpha-sanshool which creates a tingling/numbing sensation in your mouth. However, cubeb and its close relative known as “false cubeb”, are the peppers I would most like to get my hands (mouth) on. The flavor of cubeb is described as warmer than black pepper, and a mix between black pepper and allspice.