White Pepper

White pepper is often used in dishes that need a peppery bite but where you don’t want black flecks, such as in white sauces and potato dishes. In Chinese cuisine, ground white pepper is used to add flavor to soups, marinades for meat and poultry, and spicier stir-fries. It is different from black pepper or Sichuan peppercorns.

What Is White Pepper?

White pepper is a spice produced from the dried fruit of the pepper plant, Piper nigrum, as is black pepper. It is usually milder than black pepper, with less complex flavor. Both whole and ground white pepper are available.

White Pepper vs. Black Pepper

While they come from the berries of the same plant, the difference between white pepper and black pepper starts when the berries are picked. To make black pepper, unripe pepper berries are picked and then they are dried, which blackens the skin and adds flavor elements.

White pepper is made from fully ripe pepper berries. They are soaked in water for about 10 days, leading to fermentation. Then their skins are removed, which also removes some of the hot piperine compound, as well as volatile oils and compounds that give black pepper its aroma. As a result, white pepper has a different flavor and heat component than black pepper. The process used and handling of white pepper can introduce different flavor notes as well.

Sichuan pepper is a different species entirely that is not closely related to white or black pepper. Its heat element acts in a completely different way. It has a slight lemony taste and a different kind of spicy heat, creating a tingly numbness in the mouth.