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Pink Pepper
Appears in
Published 2008
Schinus terebinthifolius
Schinus molle
Hailed as ‘the food fancy of the 1980s’ at the French Fancy Food Show, pink peppercorns were the seasoning of choice during the heady days of nouvelle cuisine. Valued more for appearance than flavour, the vibrant rosy-pink berries found their way into every dish imaginable. Nowadays they are most often seen in the company of black, white and green peppercorns in clear perspex pepper mills, again added for glamour rather than flavour.
Despite the name, pink peppercorns are not a member of the pepper family and do not taste in the least peppery. They are often confused with true red peppercorns, the fully ripe berries of Piper nigrum, although the differences in size, texture and flavour are fairly apparent. The pink variety are smaller with a brittle outer husk that dents easily and is separate from the small seed inside, whereas true red peppercorns have a large seed tightly packed in the husk.