Many types of peppers are used. Besides the black pepper berry and the weaker white pepper seed freed from its powerful wrinkled black skin, there are grey peppers called cubebs and long peppers which look like a black catkin, both of which are not as strong as the black berries. All these are best bought whole and used freshly ground. There is also the dried red pepper or pimento of which there are many varieties โ all of the capsicum family. Dried and ground it ranges from the mild, sweet red pepper and paprika to the very fiery cayenne or chilli powders.