Peppercorns

True pepper (vine pepper) is black, green or white — all three come from the same plant but a re picked at various stages of ripeness. Red pepper, sichuan and cayenne are not ’true’ peppers but were so called to share the kudos of this once-expensive commodity. Green peppers are picked unripe and usually preserved by artificial drying or bottling in brine, vinegar or water. Black pepper is the most pungent and flavourful variety. It’s made from berries that are red but not completely ripe: when dried, they shrivel and take on a dark colour. White pepper, less aromatic but hotter than black, is made from ripe red berries that are soaked in salt water until soft, then the white seeds removed and dried.