Add pungent flavor to meals with freshly ground pepper

When a recipe calls for freshly ground pepper and you reach in your cupboard and grab a 2-year-old can of ground pepper, you’ll miss the hot, pungent flavor that adds zest to even the simplest dish. There is just no comparison when you grind your own. If you don’t have a pepper mill, invest in one; they are not expensive.

Although black peppercorns are the most popular, there are also white, green and pink varieties. Black, white and green peppercorns all come from the same pepper shrub (Piper nigrum), but each is harvested and handled differently. Pink peppercorns are the dried berries from the Baies rose plant.

The Szechuan peppercorn is not related to the peppercorn family. Native to the Sichuan province of China, it is a mildly hot berry that comes from the prickly ash tree.

•Black peppercorns are the most popular.

Black peppercorns are picked when the berries are not quite fully ripe. The most pungent varieties are Tellicherry and Malabar, from India, and Lampong from Indonesia. Slightly more subtle is Sarawak, from Malaysia.

Black pepper is widely used in savory dishes, including as a crusty coating on beef roasts and steaks. Freshly ground pepper adds a bit of heat to green salads. It’s also used in desserts, such as sautéed strawberries, poached pears, baked apples and pfeffernuss, a German Christmas cookie.

•White peppercorns give a rich, lightly fermented flavor.

White peppercorns are from the same plant as black, but the white variety is picked in a less-ripened state, soaked for several days in water, dried and separated from the outer husk.

White peppercorns are milder than black and shine in subtle white sauces, soups and other light-colored foods. They can also be used with grilled meat and poultry. White pepper is preferred for the foods of Southeast Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe.

•Green peppercorns come both brined and dried.

Green peppercorns are harvested when the berries are immature and then packed in brine or dried. They offer a fresher flavor and less pungency than black or white pepper. The brined berries are firm and spicy and are usually used on top of a dish as a condiment – as with smoked salmon – instead of in it.

Dried green peppercorns can vary from mildly hot to fiery. They’re firm enough to grind in a pepper mill, but they also plump up in hot water. Use in cream sauces for seafood and poultry, to season grilled pork and Thai green curries and stir-fries.

•Pink peppercorns splash color on dishes.

Pink peppercorns are milder than black pepper and add a touch of color and a rich, sweet flavor. Pink peppercorns are commonly used around the world and are an attractive addition to many dishes, including salads, eggs, seafood, poultry, game and white sauces. Since they are too soft to be ground in a pepper mill, they are sprinkled whole in most dishes.

•Szechuan peppercorns were not available in the U.S. until very recently because of the threat of citrus canker virus. The government lifted the ban after it was found that heating the berries to around 160 degrees killed the canker virus.

Szechuan peppercorns are quite aromatic but not very hot. They are reddish brown, have a rough texture and often have tiny stems mixed in among them. They are sold whole with bitter black seeds in the centers, or cracked open and seeded. They can be found in some Asian food markets or at www.thespicehouse.com.

When a recipe calls for crushed or cracked peppercorns, check your pepper mill to see if it is adjustable. If not, put the peppercorns in a heavy-duty self-sealing plastic bag, push out the air and seal it. Pound the peppercorns with a mallet, rolling pin or heavy cast-iron skillet until the peppercorns are lightly crushed.

Add pepper toward the end of cooking to prevent it from turning harsh. Store peppercorns well-sealed in a cool, dry place. They’ll keep for several years, but if they’ve hung around long enough to taste a little flat, put them in a single layer on a jellyroll pan and roast in a 350-degree oven for a few minutes. When they become aromatic, remove them from the oven. Cool and use either ground or cracked.