What Is the Difference Between Black Pepper and White Pepper? This Article Makes It Clear

Pepper is also known as white pepper, black pepper, meilüzhi, pibei, and other names. It is the fruit of a woody climbing vine in the genus Piper, family Piperaceae, order Piperales. Black pepper and white pepper are actually both processed from the fruit of the same pepper plant; only the processing method and the maturity of the fruit used differ. However, the two differ greatly in taste, effects, and usage. Let us take a look together below!

Processing Differences Between Black Pepper and White Pepper

1. Black pepper: When the pepper fruit is not fully ripe, its skin is green. At this point, pick the fruit, soak it in boiling water for 5-8 minutes, then dry it in the sun or roast it over a fire. During this process, the pepper fruit slowly shrinks and turns black. This is black pepper. When ground into powder, it is usually coarsely ground, becoming black pepper powder.

2. White pepper: Wait until the pepper fruit is fully ripe and turns bright red, then pick the fruit, remove the skin, and dry the remaining seeds in the sun to make white pepper. When ground into powder, it becomes white pepper powder, usually ground into a fine powder.

Usage Differences Between Black Pepper and White Pepper

1. Black pepper: Black pepper has a much stronger flavor than white pepper, with a pungency amid the aroma. However, black pepper should not be cooked for too long, because black pepper contains many volatile substances, and if cooked too long, both its aroma and pungency will evaporate away. Black pepper also has another characteristic: the higher the temperature, the richer the flavor. Therefore, it is most suitable for making iron-plate dishes, and is also suitable for stewing meat, cooking game, and making hot pot.

2. White pepper: White pepper tastes milder and more delicate than black pepper, and its aroma is relatively stable and not easily lost. It is an ideal seasoning for cooking fish and braised dishes.

Effect Differences Between Black Pepper and White Pepper

1. Black pepper: Black pepper has an obvious warming and tonifying effect on the spleen and kidneys, and can treat diseases caused by deficiency-cold of the spleen and kidneys, such as "cock-crow diarrhea".

2. White pepper: White pepper has slightly higher medicinal value and slightly weaker seasoning value. Its functions of dispelling cold and strengthening the stomach are stronger, and it is especially effective for lung cold and stomach cold.

Precautions for Using Black Pepper and White Pepper

1. Pepper is highly heating, so do not eat too much each time; about 0.3-1 gram is appropriate. In addition, people who are currently inflamed or suffering from excess internal heat should avoid eating pepper, otherwise the symptoms are more likely to worsen.

2. White pepper is actually not white, but yellow-gray. When buying, do not really think that the whiter the better. And good black pepper is plump, glossy, and dark brown, and it is not the blacker the better either.