by Joan Mccord

Created on: October 18, 2009

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is a mainstay of the kitchen often taken for granted. If we stop to examine this wizened little berry and crack its shell we begin to discover the nuances of flavor that await, and a thousand questions arise. One might be, are there other berries waiting to share their flavors and enliven our food in much the same way?

These are only a few:

* Grains of Paradise, is a highly prized and well known member of the ginger family native to West and North Africa. The flavor which suggests a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper, is being reintroduced into cuisines around the world.

The highly versitle grains are coarsely cracked or put through a pepper grinder. Use them in any recipe from the Middle East, Morocco, or Ethiopia, from curries to a refreshing cup of tea.

It has long been used outside Africa to flavor beer (Samuel Adams Summer Ale is an example.), gins, Norwegian aquavit and some liquors.

* Pretty garden nasturtiums, Tropaeolum majus, grow quickly and produce peppery leaves and blossoms that enhance our food.

Their seed, dried and used in a pepper grinder produce an interesting and different pepper-like seasoning. Try using them in your own spice blend.

* Szechuan peppers are a unique spice not related to chili peppers or black pepper. They are pungent, not hot like peppers, and have slightly lemony overtones that set the mouth a-tingle. Normally, Szechuan peppers are toasted and only the husks are used.

They are an ingredient in Chinese five spice powder which is classically equal parts Szechuan peppers, whole cloves, cinnamon bark, fennel seed, and star anise. Chinese five spice powder traditionally seasons savory dishes, cakes, cookies, and fruit desserts.

* Jamaican allspice is so called because the flavor suggest a blend of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. It lends this distinct flavor to Jamaican Jerk dishes, as well as many traditional island dishes. Both the berry and leaf have an aroma and flavor that are a spicy combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

* Nutri-Pepper, is a relatively new black pepper product that eliminates peppercorn shells from the finished product. The result is a higher degree of purity, more clear flavor, and easier access to piperine, the major component of black pepper that induces enzymes in the body to help breakdown protein and improve digestion. Nutri-pepper is currently available in the United States, and there are plans for a complete line of rubs, marinades, and dressings using this no-shell pepper as a base.

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