Black pepper blooms with small white flowers collected in hanging ears. The fruits of black pepper are spherical drupes with a hard shell, having a burning taste.
The birthplace of black pepper is the southwest coast of India, the current state of Kerala. Previously, these lands were called the land of pepper, and pepper itself was called the Malabar berry.
How to Choose Black Pepper?
When choosing ground black pepper, you should pay attention to the taste and color of the grinding. Fresh seasoning is always sharp and has a strong aroma, as it contains a large amount of piperine and essential oils. The color of high-quality ground pepper is heterogeneous, it consists of particles of light brown, greenish and gray shades. A uniform yellow, gray or black color indicates a large amount of impurities that manufacturers sometimes add to reduce the cost of goods. The black color of ground pepper may also indicate the use of unripe or rotten peas.
How to Store Black Pepper?
Ground pepper is recommended to be stored in a dry and dark place, away from strongly smelling products. Essential oils evaporate especially quickly from the finely ground seasoning, therefore, so that it does not lose its taste qualities, it should be kept in a hermetically sealed container. The room temperature should not exceed +25 °C.
When to Use Black Pepper?
Black pepper is one of the most effective digestive stimulants. This versatile seasoning is able to decorate any dish, starting from ordinary scrambled eggs and ending with masterpieces of haute cuisine. Food manufacturers add this spice to meat and sausage products, cheeses, canned food and marinades.
Spice is a mandatory component of most recipes of meat and fish dishes. It is added to soups and second courses of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and also used in the preparation of homemade sausage, ham and pates. Seasoning perfectly complements dishes of mushrooms and vegetables, no brine or marinade can do without it. Somewhat less often, black pepper is added to drinks and desserts.
How Much Black Pepper Should I Use?
A standard-sized teaspoon holds about 4 grams of ground black pepper.
When preparing soups and broths, ground pepper is added 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking. When cooking fried dishes, pieces of meat or fish are sprinkled with pepper and salt before roasting. Seasoning is added to the raw minced meat during the stirring process.
The amount of spice depends on the intended volume of the dish and personal preferences.
It is usually customary to use from ¼ to 1 teaspoon per 1 kg of meat. The maximum dose of ground black pepper per day per person should not exceed 5 grams.
What Spices are Combined with Black Pepper?
Despite the fact that in the mind of any person, the phrase “salt and pepper” evokes an image of perfect harmony, a truly wonderful combination is obtained by mixing ground black pepper with turmeric. Curcumin, which is part of it, is similar in its action to piperine — it is also an antiseptic, an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent.
Black pepper is perfectly combined with most spices, and is part of all popular mixes. It harmonizes well with cumin, garlic, coriander, as well as with its closest “relatives” — white, green and pink pepper.
Alternatives to Black Pepper
With individual intolerance to ground black pepper, it can be replaced with spices that have a similar bitter taste — cumin, mustard, coriander seeds, nutmeg. To make the dishes spicy, in the absence of allergies, you can use chili — paprika, cayenne, jalapeno.
Tips for Using Black Pepper
In combination with cinnamon and ginger, ground black pepper is added to desserts to give them a spicy taste. It is especially appropriate for the preparation of gingerbread and cupcakes, chocolate desserts, pies with apple and citrus filling, cookies.
This spice will give a peculiar taste to well—known drinks – it is added to milk tea, compotes, mulled wine and alcoholic cocktails.
To create a light, spicy salad dressing, ground pepper is mixed in various combinations with natural yogurt, honey, mustard, vinegar or lemon juice.
I propose to serve dolma as a hot dish on the New Year’s table! This dolma recipe refers to dishes of proper nutrition, not high-calorie and very tasty. The magnificent taste of this dish will complement the sauce of white walnut and pomegranate seeds.
The salad is very simple and quick to prepare – which is important in the New Year’s rush. Crunchy to the taste and beautiful in a festive way. For lovers of olives.
Koktal is a dish of Kazakh cuisine. Koktal in Kazakh means “willow”, in the old days fish was put on willow branches and smoked on charcoal. Now we use a special cardline that resembles our lamp. Koktal is almost always prepared from carp, carp or carp carp. The fish turns out fragrant, juicy and very tasty. The Koktal can be prepared in the oven, of course, the taste will not be the same as on fire, but it turns out very well in the oven. Kazakhs prepare koktal for holidays or on weekends when a large family gathers. I advise fish lovers to familiarize themselves with the recipe.
A very tasty and delicate snack cake made of potato pancakes, with a layer of cream pate! This dish is sure to become a favorite snack of the festive table and will delight you and your guests with its original taste!
Chicken in jelly is a delicious snack that is perfect for a festive feast. It is prepared simply from the available ingredients. The main ingredients are chicken, carrots and eggs. To give a colorful festive look, you can add peas or corn and decorate with parsley and fresh cucumber.
The New Year’s table is always rich in a variety of snacks. I prefer those that are easy to prepare and that can be prepared in advance. Try chicken drumsticks stuffed with nuts and cheese in a bright green pesto sauce. You can cook them in a day or even two, they will become even tastier, completely saturated with flavors and seasonings.
Salad is a good alternative to the usual Olivier. No less delicious, but a little lighter, with a more delicate structure. The recipe comes from Poland and the Czech Republic, there are several options, for example, with pickles. I liked this one. In order for the dish to turn out right, the main thing in the recipe is to use fragrant meat and peas of good quality.