2023-05-20 00:30:16
43 minutes ago
Black pepper is the king of spices. With it, any dish is revealed brighter. So familiar – is in any store and in every kitchen. But manufacturers often slip us a fake, and many cooks use it incorrectly.
The main substance in pepper is piperine. This is a weapon of struggle that repels insects and birds, and for humans, on the contrary, it is a bait – its burning bitter taste impressed people three thousand years ago. In addition to piperine, each pea contains essential oils, vitamins, and fiber. But only in those that are collected, dried and stored correctly.
The plant is called Malabar berry. This is a liana, on plantations it is allowed through rough trees or wooden poles. She gives bunches of peas, they are harvested unripe. The berries are separated, doused with boiling water and dried in the sun or in special machines. So, to speed up and reduce the cost of the process, many do it over fire. In appearance, such a pepper is no different from the correct one, but there are no useful substances in it and it will not give taste. It’s good that the quality of peas is easily checked: try crushing the peppercorns with your fingers (you can do this in the store right through the bag). If it’s solid, great! It crumbled into dust – do not take it. Another way, but this is already at home: throw peppercorns into the water. The right ones will sink, the empty ones will float.
More difficult with ground pepper. It is often faked. At best, it is useless and tasteless dust and lumps from black pepper after drying, at worst – tinted dust from buckwheat, rice, flour. In general, it is better to start a mill at home and, if necessary, grind peas.
Everything has its time
Do you pepper meat or chicken before putting it into a hot skillet? The grains burn on hot oil or coals, and the toxic carcinogen acrylamide is released from them (it is also found in the delicious crispy crust of chips and french fries). So remember the healthy rules for using black pepper.
- Steaks, fish, poultry, vegetables that you fry or bake on charcoal, pepper before serving.
- Cook the dish for a couple, a water bath, in a slow cooker, marinate – you can sprinkle with pepper immediately.
- We put the peas in the broth about five minutes before readiness. After 8 – 10 minutes in a hot liquid, the pepper will only give astringency and bitterness.
- For a marinade or brine, crush the peppercorns with a knife: all the flavor is in the core of the berry, and the outer shell gives only sharpness.
Choose any
Mixtures of peppers have become popular recently – it seems like a more varied taste and aroma. Professionals from gastronomy do not advise using these. They say that each of them is suitable for a certain dish, and the other can spoil it.
- Green pepper is ideal for sauces, salads, pates.
- White reveals the taste of fish, poultry, pastries and desserts.
- Red is too sharp, you need to know how to handle it. An awkward amateur can kill a dish with it.
- Pink is not a pepper at all, but the berry of the shinus shrub, a relative of the cashew. There is no spiciness in it, on the contrary, it is sweet. In addition, it accumulates poison. The concentration is almost imperceptible, but it is better for children and pregnant women not to eat it.
- Fragrant – also not pepper, good only for broths and marinades. Other dishes will definitely not improve.
Shelf life
Many peppercorns are stored for years. In general, it’s okay, it just gradually loses its properties. In sealed packaging, in a dry place and without light, this seasoning can stand up to 12 months. But it is better to buy a little bit every six months.
A sip of health
In India, namely, it is the birthplace of the Malabar berry, it is believed that one or two peas a day perfectly support the immune system, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and are generally good for health. But chewing a pea is dangerous, and tasteless. Therefore, they are wrapped, for example, in raisins and swallowed like that.
By the way
- Black, green, red and white pepper are the fruits of the same plant. They are just processed differently when dried.
- Piperine irritates the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. The stomach increases the production of hydrochloric acid, the pancreas increases the volume of enzymes for splitting. Therefore, all the necessary substances are absorbed better. So seasoning with black pepper is necessary not only for taste. By the way, piperine is added for digestion to dietary supplements.
- You have to be careful with piperine supplements. In its pure form, it burns the mucous membranes. It’s better to use black pepper.
Photo source: Globallookpress.com/© Thomas Jentzsch, © Jürgen Pfeiffer
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