Black Pepper Powder

Black Pepper Powder is Piper nigrum ground to a fine grey-black dust. It gives the same sharp, mildly hot bite as the whole berry and disperses instantly, which is what you want in a batter, a rub or a sauce that will not be strained.

It is also sold as ground black pepper, pepper powder or kali mirch, and it is the everyday pepper of the table and the stove. The colour is a deep grey-black and the aroma is sharp, warm and woody, with a clean bite that lingers for a moment on the tongue. Few spices appear in as many cuisines, from Indian curries and Middle Eastern rice dishes to steak au poivre, soups and scrambled eggs.

This is the ground form. Ameen sells whole peppercorns separately, and those keep their floral, piney top notes far longer, so a mill is worth having for finishing. The powder is for volume work and for anywhere the grind needs to be even.

How to use it

Whisk it into marinades, batters and gravies, blend it into dry rubs and masalas, and season soups and stews where a coarse crack would be out of place. It is the pepper for a shaker on the table and for bulk kitchen use. Technique tip: buy it in the size you will finish within a few months, since ground pepper loses its aroma steadily once the jar is opened.

Details

Also known as

Ground Black Pepper, Black Pepper Powder, Table Pepper, Common Pepper, Piper nigrum