If you want to choose a "king" in the world of spices, it is pepper.
There are several reasons for this:
First of all, the history of pepper application is early.
In the mummified nostrils of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, several peppercorns were found by posterity.
Ramses II died in 1223 BC
Second, pepper's turf spans East and West.
To this day, it is still a major spice that is common and indispensable in different food culture circles, and its importance can even be compared with salt.
During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, pepper was sometimes paid to officials as a salary.
Third, pepper has historically been a protagonist of the spice trade.
In the 16th-17th centuries, pepper accounted for 70% of the world spice trade.
It has long been said that spices represented by pepper are so important to the Western world because locals need things too much to restrain the putrid or fishy smell of meat on the table.
Fourth, pepper directly triggered the Great Voyage.
It has promoted exchanges between the East and the West, the rise of colonialism, and the great exchange of species between the old and new worlds, which has completely changed the fate of the East and the West, the history of mankind and the face of the earth.
△ Monument to the Great Voyage of Lisbon, Portugal
Who is in the Pepper family?
The various peppers used on the table are actually different forms of the same species.
80%-85% of the world's total pepper exports are black pepper, 15%-20% are white pepper, and about 1% are green pepper.
Black pepper and white pepper are just harvested in different ways.
△ Black pepper close-up
Black pepper is an unripe green fruit that is boiled in hot water and dried, which becomes black pepper, because it contains the outer skin, so the taste is strong. Black pepper is widely used in Western food and is suitable for cooking meat.
△ Black pepper, white pepper and green pepper
White pepper is made from ripe berries soaked in water for a few days after grinding the peeled flesh. White pepper has a milder taste and is more commonly used Chinese. White pepper is suitable for light sauces, fish, seafood stews, etc.
Green pepper is a peppercorn with a shell with meat, soaked in salt water or vinegar, or freeze-dried. Green pepper is commonly found in Asian dishes such as Thai cuisine.
Red pepper, usually the red pepper at maturity, is marinated in brine and freeze-dried to retain its bright red color. Red pepper has a slightly sweet and fruity aroma, and the color is bright and suitable for cooking decoration.
There is no native pepper in China, and people often hear that mountain pepper is not pepper, but wood ginger.
Wood ginger fruit contains aromatic oil, and the seed contains oil. In Hubei, Hunan and Chongqing, wood ginger is used to make kimchi.
The wood ginger seed oil extracted from the wood ginger seed is the soul of the red sour soup dishes such as guizhou sour soup fish, and is the iconic taste that can represent the region.
How to use pepper today?
The smell of pepper will be lost with the volatilization of chemicals, so it should be sealed and stored in the dark, and then ground when it is used, and at the same time, it is the basic principle of using pepper to prevent continuous high temperature heating during cooking.
Black pepper has a strong taste, and the short high temperature promotes the release of aroma, in addition to cured meats, black pepper should be added as much as possible before coming out of the pan. In addition to pickling, white pepper should also be added after the dish is complete.
In addition to enriching the taste level, green pepper and red pepper are mainly used for decorative effects.