White peppercorns
These come from the same plant as black peppercorns – the difference is how they are processed and at what stage of ripeness the berries are picked. Black are picked when the berries are turning from unripe to ripe (or from green to red) and are then left to go black and wrinkly as they dry in the sun. White are produced from berries that are left to ripen and are then soaked, hulled and dried.
When to use
White pepper is milder in aroma but hotter in taste than black pepper and many chefs favour it for light coloured sauces, soups and fish dishes when they don’t want to see specks of black pepper.