Pepper is one of the most common and important spices in the world. Pepper is used in almost all cuisines around the world in one form or another.
Mostly pepper is used in powdered form in food. It is also used as a condiment, along with salt, to add additional heat to the food.
Key Takeaways
- Black peppercorns are dried, while green peppercorns are picked and preserved before maturity.
- Green peppercorns have a milder flavor and aroma than the more pungent black peppercorns.
- Black peppercorns have a longer shelf life than green peppercorns due to their dried nature.
Black vs Green Peppercorns
The difference between Black and Green Peppercorns is that black pepper is made from dried peppercorns and is ground into a powder. Green pepper is made from unripe peppercorns and is not boiled or treated with other methods. This ensures that the green color of the peppercorns is retained in the final product.
Black peppercorn is a product obtained from the drupes of the peppercorn tree. The drupes are harvested and then treated for a brief period of time under boiling water so as to rupture the cell walls of the pepper drupes.
Then the treated drupes are sun-dried before they are ground to a powder.
Green peppercorns are also obtained from the unripe drupes of the pepper plant, but the drupes are not boiled. The drupes are treated with sulfur dioxide and then freeze-dried for making green peppercorns.
This is done to ensure that the green color of the drupes is retained in the final product.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Black Peppercorns | Green Peppercorns |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Black peppercorns are the dried drupes of the pepper plant | Green peppercorns are also obtained from the pepper plant, but they are not dried |
| Process | The unripe drupes are harvested, boiled in hot water, and dried under the sun, which causes a change of color in the drupes | The drupes are picked when they are still unripe, treated with sulfur dioxide and freeze-dried, to ensure the green color is retained |
| Application | Historically used as currency, for cooking, medicinal applications, and so on | Mostly only used for cooking |
| Health Benefits | Black pepper contains high amounts of potassium, calcium, zinc, and iron | Green pepper helps in digestion, reduce stomach distress and bacterial growth |
| Cuisine | Almost all the cuisines in the world use black pepper in some form | Only select cuisines, like Thai, French, and so on use green pepper |
What is Black Peppercorns?
Black peppercorns are one of the world’s most commonly found and widely used spices. Black pepper is used in almost all types of cuisines around the world and has been a part of the human diet for centuries.
Black pepper is also known for its medicinal properties and is a prominent ingredient in old and even new medicines.
Black pepper has many health benefits, it contains good amounts of important nutrients such as iron, zinc, and potassium, to name a few, and is a very important part of our daily diet.
Black pepper is prepared by harvesting the drupes of the pepper plant when they are still unripe. The unripe drupes are boiled for a brief moment. This makes the shells of the pepper soft for the later grinding process.
The boiled peppercorns are sundried until all the water is vaporized. Thus in the process of boiling and sun-drying, the color of the peppercorns goes from green to black.
The black, dried peppercorns are then packed either whole or ground to a powder. The dried pepper is perfectly fine for consumption and thus can be used right after drying.
Historically, black peppercorns were used as currency, but these days they are mainly used in different cuisines as a spice and also for making different medications.
What is Green Peppercorns?
Green peppercorns are the fruits of the flower-bearing pepper plant. Technically, they are drupes, as a single fruit contains only one seed.
Like black peppercorns, green peppercorns are used as a spice in different cuisines and consumed in different parts of the world.
Green peppercorns are not prepared in the same way as black peppercorns. As a result, green peppercorns do not turn black towards the end of the preparation process.
To begin the preparation process, the pepper plant’s unripe drupes are first harvested. These drupes are then treated with sulfur dioxide instead of being boiled like regular peppercorns.
The treatment with sulfur dioxide is followed by freeze-drying to pack the peppercorns. The whole process ensures that the green color of the peppercorns is retained in the final product.
Thus as the peppercorns are not sun-dried like regular peppercorns, the color of the peppercorns remains the same unripe green and does not change to black.
Green peppercorns are mostly used for cooking and not used much in medicines. Also, only a handful of cuisines, like French, Thai, and some Western European cultures, use green peppercorns in their food.
Green peppercorns also have similar health benefits to black peppercorns. They improve digestion and reduce digestive problems; they contain nutrients like iron and zinc and also contain anti-bacterial properties.
| # | Preview | Product | |
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| 1 |
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Madagascar Green Peppercorns in brine 3.52 oz,100g ,1 PACK | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Green Peppercorns in Brine by La Caperelle (3.5 ounce) (2 Pack) | Check Price on Amazon |
Main Differences Between Black and Green Peppercorns
- Black peppercorns are the dried drupes of the pepper plant. Green peppercorns are also obtained from the pepper plant, but they are not dried.
- For making Black peppercorns, the unripe drupes are harvested, boiled in hot water and dried under the sun, which causes a change of color in the drupes. For making Green Peppercorns, the drupes are picked when they are still unripe, treated with sulfur dioxide and freeze-dried to ensure the green color is retained.
- Historically, Black Peppercorns were used as currency for cooking, medicinal applications, etc. Green Peppercorns are mostly only used for cooking.
- Black pepper contains high amounts of potassium, calcium, zinc and iron. Green pepper helps in digestion and reduces stomach distress and bacterial growth.
- Almost all the cuisines in the world use black pepper in some form. Only select cuisines, like Thai, French and so on, use green pepper.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857090393500062
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-015-1792-5
Last Updated : 22 June, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
Very well written and informative.
I’ve never considered the differences between black and green peppercorns before. This article is full of enlightening information about the origins, uses, and nutritional value of these spices.
It’s true, this article really shines a light on the differences between the two and their purpose. I’m really impressed by all I’ve learned.
I couldn’t agree more! I thought I knew everything about peppercorns, but there is obviously so much to learn.
I was expecting to learn about all the different ways these things are used in different foods all over the world, but this was just about the different ways they’re processed. Very disappointed.
I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed, but I found the information about how they’re processed really interesting. It’s amazing how that impacts the final product and its uses.
I suppose knowing about peppercorns is fine, but does it really matter if you use black or green pepper in your cooking? Seems like splitting hairs to me.
It certainly does matter, as the article makes clear. Different cuisines use them for different reasons, and their flavors and health benefits differ too.
Exactly! I think this article really highlighted the importance of knowing these differences.
Interesting information. I found it fascinating how green peppercorns are processed differently to retain their color. I had no idea about that before reading this.
I was surprised by that too. It’s amazing how different their journey from plant to table is.
This article does a great job of explaining not only the differences between black and green pepper, but also the history and medicinal uses of each. I found the information provided to be very insightful and informative. I highly recommend it to anyone curious about these spices.
I agree, the way the article describes how each type of peppercorn is processed and the impact it has on appearance and flavor is really fascinating.