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> Encyclopedia> What is a pepper?
  • What is a pepper?

    What is a pepper?

    Piper Nigrum King of the spices

    Pepper (Piper Nigrum) originates from the Malabar Coast, in the south-west of India. It is a vine which belongs to the Piperaceae botanical family. Today it is found in many tropical belt countries.

    Whether it is green, black, white or red, it is the same fruit.

    Pepper grows in clusters. Green pepper is a fruit picked before maturity. It is subtly spicy, delicately hot and very fresh.
    We rarely see it in our markets. It is typically found dehydrated or brined. The grains yellow as they ripen. They are generally picked at this stage of maturity. When dried in the sun, they wrinkle and turn brown, becoming black pepper. At full maturity, the fruit turns a shimmering red colour. It is then soaked in rainwater basins and its skin is removed. After a long period of drying in the sun, white pepper is obtained.
    Red pepper (mature fruits) shouldn't be confused with "pink pepper ", incorrectly named because it does not belong to the Piperaceae family. Another language mistake - "grey pepper". It doesn't exist! It is actually a mixture of poor quality white and black pepper powders. It isn't of great interest to us.

    PLANTATION_CUEILLETTE.jpg
    PLANTATION_CAMBODGE.jpg

    Rules and usage tips

    Never buy pepper as a powder. Its aromas are subtle and disappear quickly when it is milled. Avoid aggressive cooking as it makes it bitter and burnt.

    Preferably use a pepper mill on your dishes when serving. It looks elegant and the odours are intoxicating.

    The regular use of different peppers will convince you of their diversity. The use of these peppers will not fundamentally change your cooking, but it will customise your dishes by bringing them a touch of exoticism and taking you on a journey

    Why use several peppers?

    In our kitchens today we use several different olive oils or vinegars because they are different, so then why should we always use the same pepper?

  • What is a spice?

    What is a spice?

    The definition of the word "spice" has not changed over time.

    The definition still used in today's dictionaries is very vague and without any real accuracy: Aromatic and vegetable substance used to flavour food.

    I propose a new definition, more adapted to today's cuisine, based on the use of the product and not its provenance:

    A spice is an aromatic vegetable substance used to flavour dishes. It can come from fruit, bark, roots, flowers, leaves, bulbs, seeds, whole plants, pressing fruit and fermentation of plant substances.

    PLANTATION_U_SECHAGE.jpg
    Le comptoir des poivres - qu est ce qu u

    We can therefore consider that aromatic herbs are included in this category, like salt, olive oils, mustards or vinegar etc.

    Language has also distorted the first meaning of the word spicy, which no longer means "with spices", but which is perceived pejoratively as being "powerful, pungent, blowing your head off"! whereas spicing is the art of seasoning, the precision, the subtlety.

    We therefore invite you to rediscover the use of spices…

  • Spices' glossary

  • What is a pepper?
  • What is a spice?
  • Spices' glossary

What is a pepper?

Piper Nigrum King of the spices

Pepper (Piper Nigrum) originates from the Malabar Coast, in the south-west of India. It is a vine which belongs to the Piperaceae botanical family. Today it is found in many tropical belt countries.

Whether it is green, black, white or red, it is the same fruit.

Pepper grows in clusters. Green pepper is a fruit picked before maturity. It is subtly spicy, delicately hot and very fresh.
We rarely see it in our markets. It is typically found dehydrated or brined. The grains yellow as they ripen. They are generally picked at this stage of maturity. When dried in the sun, they wrinkle and turn brown, becoming black pepper. At full maturity, the fruit turns a shimmering red colour. It is then soaked in rainwater basins and its skin is removed. After a long period of drying in the sun, white pepper is obtained.
Red pepper (mature fruits) shouldn't be confused with "pink pepper ", incorrectly named because it does not belong to the Piperaceae family. Another language mistake - "grey pepper". It doesn't exist! It is actually a mixture of poor quality white and black pepper powders. It isn't of great interest to us.

PLANTATION_CUEILLETTE.jpg
PLANTATION_CAMBODGE.jpg

Rules and usage tips

Never buy pepper as a powder. Its aromas are subtle and disappear quickly when it is milled. Avoid aggressive cooking as it makes it bitter and burnt.

Preferably use a pepper mill on your dishes when serving. It looks elegant and the odours are intoxicating.

The regular use of different peppers will convince you of their diversity. The use of these peppers will not fundamentally change your cooking, but it will customise your dishes by bringing them a touch of exoticism and taking you on a journey

Why use several peppers?

In our kitchens today we use several different olive oils or vinegars because they are different, so then why should we always use the same pepper?

What is a spice?

The definition of the word "spice" has not changed over time.

The definition still used in today's dictionaries is very vague and without any real accuracy: Aromatic and vegetable substance used to flavour food.

I propose a new definition, more adapted to today's cuisine, based on the use of the product and not its provenance:

A spice is an aromatic vegetable substance used to flavour dishes. It can come from fruit, bark, roots, flowers, leaves, bulbs, seeds, whole plants, pressing fruit and fermentation of plant substances.

PLANTATION_U_SECHAGE.jpg
Le comptoir des poivres - qu est ce qu u

We can therefore consider that aromatic herbs are included in this category, like salt, olive oils, mustards or vinegar etc.

Language has also distorted the first meaning of the word spicy, which no longer means "with spices", but which is perceived pejoratively as being "powerful, pungent, blowing your head off"! whereas spicing is the art of seasoning, the precision, the subtlety.

We therefore invite you to rediscover the use of spices…

Lexique des épices Qu'est-ce qu'une épice ?


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