Pepper, Black and White

Black and white peppercorns (Piper nigrum) were an early import to China from the tropics and were especially in vogue during the Tang dynasty, when their presence in an exotic “foreign” meat dish was as de rigueur as our serving chutney with a curry. Black pepper became a part of many northern dishes, while white pepper was the visual choice for light-colored foods such as shrimp pastes and fish stews. “Foreign pepper” or “barbarian pepper” as it is called in Chinese never supplanted the aromatic brown pepper in Chinese kitchens (Szechwan Brown Peppercorns), but it has remained a nice flourish associated with certain foods.