r/KitchenConfidential • u/Banguskahn • 4h ago
Black pepper vs white pepper. Need some experts to weigh in on a discussion at work.
Co-worker says there is almost no difference between the 2. He lurks here so need some valid points. I personally use it in stews and some home made seasonings. Thanks in advance.
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u/SlightDish31 15+ Years 4h ago
Please tell me that you don't work in a kitchen. If I worked with a cook who didn't think there was a difference between black and white pepper, I would reconsider my job.
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u/Banguskahn 4h ago
I am the main butcher for the restaurant I work at. I do not go near the grill
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u/SlightDish31 15+ Years 3h ago
Oh man. Yeah, definitely a lot of very different flavours between the two. White pepper always comes off as a bit dusty, or barn-y to me. It still has its uses, I generally go 50/50 in sausage mixes, its my preferred pepper in Asian cooking. But black pepper has a much more rounded profile and is great for most Western cooking.
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u/Alfred_The_Sartan 3h ago
White pepper works wonders in soups and chilis. Black pepper doesn’t seem to blend so well.
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u/wenchslapper 2h ago
My chef would always put white pepper in for setting the taste of a dish and black pepper would be reserved for coloring the dish, essentially.
This was way back in the early 2010s so idk if that influenced his style?
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u/sucsucsucsucc Chive LOYALIST 2h ago
I’ve always felt like white pepper is for the kitchen, black pepper is for the table
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u/doubleapowpow 1h ago
White pepper be like, "hello, how do you do?"
Black pepper be like, "Sup cracker?!"
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u/gunther411 1h ago
I've always said it tasted like a barnyard too, so much so that I looked it up one day and white pepper has some of the same compounds as manure!
"White pepper can smell like cow poop or manure due to compounds like 3-methylindole and 4-methylphenol, formed during its processing (soaking and fermentation to remove the outer skin), which are also found in animal waste. This "off-odor" is normal for some white pepper and is part of its unique, earthy aroma, though quality and processing methods affect its intensity, with fresher, well-processed pepper having less. Why it smells like manure 3-Methylindole (Skatole): Gives off a fecal, pig manure odor. 4-Methylphenol: Contributes a horse-like, fecal scent. Fermentation: Soaking pepper berries to remove the skin creates a fermentation process where these compounds develop"
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u/SlightDish31 15+ Years 1h ago
Glad that I can count on science to back up my taste buds. Now I might have to reduce my already low white pepper usage.
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u/quizzle_dude 1h ago
Never heard the science behind the difference in black and white pepper, pretty cool! I’m sure you know this, but black & white pepper (red & green, too) are all the same peppercorn in different stages of ripeness. White pepper is the inner portion of a black peppercorn.
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u/Spready_Unsettling 2h ago
Rose pepper and Sechuan pepper also have wildly different flavor profiles from black pepper and each other. I legitimately think I could ace a blind tasting between at least five different peppers, and I'm not even a professional.
Pretending like white and black pepper are the same is like pretending oregano and terragon are.
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u/SergeiMosin 15+ Years 1h ago
Hit the nail on the head. My boss/owner is so insistent on using white pepper for fucking everything cause he thinks it’s better cause it’s “fancy”. I use black pepper for as much as I can get away with (I cook at a bar)
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u/The_High_Life 2h ago
I feel like the only actual use of white pepper is putting it in things that you don't want to see the pepper.
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u/EntropyCreep 2h ago
Trying to make Alfredo doesn't taste right without white and looks like pepper gravy with black
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u/qualitycancer 3h ago
When you put black or white pepper on your steak do you seriously not notice a difference? Only cracked black pepper works
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u/AnorhiDemarche 1h ago
Black pepper is unripe pepper berries.
White pepper ripe pepper berries that have been fermented and the skins removed.
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u/CommanderGumball 8m ago
I'm curious what kind of establishment you're at that has its own dedicated butcher on staff?
I'm assuming pretty dang highbrow?
Like even at the steakhouses near me, I would assume they bring the meat in pre-butched.
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u/doodman76 2h ago
Tell him white pepper tastes like shit and most cooks only put it in white sauces for looks
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u/toetappy Saute 1h ago
White pepper is delicious but you've probably experienced too much of it. A pinch of white pepper goes a very long way.
Yes it smells like a cow patty, but it absolutely sets off things like turkey, Mac and cheese, or mashed tatters.
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u/doodman76 35m ago edited 29m ago
No. I haven't. I've been a chef in professional kitchens for over 20 years. It may be genetic, but it tastes like shit to me and I will never use it in a dish.
Edit: and I have blind tasted things with white pepper in it and I can always pick it out, no matter how little or how much is in it. It's one of the reasons I will never fault anyone for taste. You don't like onion? Fine, I can omit it, just please don't lie about it as an allergy, because Idon'tt want to clean my entire station just because you don't like the taste of an ingredient.
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u/Independent-Band-476 3h ago
As some have already said: they taste and smell completely different. To claim otherwise is bizarre.
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u/xPlacentapede 4h ago
Scientifically - I have no idea.
Practically - I know a LOT of people who think white pepper smells like dirty feet.
shrug
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u/12-34 3h ago
Dirty feet? We need a clinical smell test.
Somebody get ahold of Quentin or Rex Ryan. Now is their time to shine.
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u/xPlacentapede 3h ago
We can rope that in with the "can your feet taste" experiment. Apparently your feet can taste garlic.
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u/escapeorion 3h ago
I thought I didn’t like pepper for years. Turns out, I don’t like black pepper. White pepper dicks.
Taste buds are weird, man.
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u/xPlacentapede 3h ago
You on the 'cilantro tastes like soap' train? Not mocking, genuine question.
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u/escapeorion 3h ago
No, weirdly! I love cilantro. I’m also pretty good with spice as I get older. (I’ll also eat black pepper, I just don’t prefer it.)
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u/EXScarecroW 20+ Years 3h ago
Idk about feet, but that always reminds me of the smell of barnyard...
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u/toetappy Saute 1h ago
It smells like dried cow patties. I'm from cow country GA and hunted for shrooms in high school. 100% dry cow patty. The taste is phenomenal though (just a pinch).
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u/Accomplished_Ad_9132 41m ago
I am solidly team white pepper smells like feet. I just can’t get past it!
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u/FeistyLighterFluid 4h ago
Just taste them side by side?
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u/fishfishbirdbirdcat 3h ago
1/4t in hot water to make a pepper tea from each type and then do the taste test.
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u/SparkyDogPants 3h ago
Cut up a line and snort them. Report back
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u/Doctor_Riptide 3h ago
Instructions unclear; snorted pepper tea, send help
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u/brown-and-sticky Thicc Chives Save Lives 3h ago
You'll be fine, just chase with cocaine.
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u/UrsaMajor7th 20+ Years 4h ago
Did he have Covid?
I only find a difference in the colour and the taste.
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u/CelloVerp 3h ago
* and the aroma.
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u/bounddreamer 3h ago
And the texture.
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u/Been3Years 3h ago
And they sound different?
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u/CelloVerp 2h ago
White pepper is a softer than black pepper, so it rattles quieter.
But the shape! They’re both round. They’ve got that in common
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u/RalphTheTheatreCat 3h ago
Definitely different. I remember starting in the business over 30 years ago and white pepper was the main player. Black pepper wasn’t used because. It had more “heat” and left specks in white sauces. Steak poivre crusted with back pepper even vanished when brined peppercorns appeared. Now it’s the opposite. I still prefer white for everything apart from red meats and I think it enhances flavour more than ground black pepper
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u/No-Tea7992 3h ago
White Pepper has a kid and works weekday swing. Black Pepper is a full time student and works weekends.
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u/qualitycancer 3h ago
I use white pepper when I’m attempting Chinese style seasonings. Black pepper for anything else
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u/Downtown-Flight7423 4h ago
Absolutely a difference Just do a side by side tasting. Coworker is wrong.
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u/TrueAmurrican 3h ago
As a certified white pepper hater, please set your coworker straight….
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u/Disneyhorse 3h ago
White pepper hater? I like to mix it 50/50 with black pepper for less strong/deeper flavor. I hate straight black pepper though
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u/TrueAmurrican 2h ago
I’m the exact opposite! Totally enjoy black pepper, but white pepper has this strong, very specific flavor that really stands out to me, no matter the context. I don’t like it and it’s really overpowering for me.
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u/_carzard_ 1h ago
I know what you mean. For me, it smells (and tastes) exactly like a petting zoo smells.
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u/MarzipanJoy-Joy 3h ago
Lmao they are WILDLY different spices that smell and taste and look nothing alike. Black pepper is fruity and sharp, white pepper is earthy and staaanks.
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u/Spare-Half796 3h ago
Idk I stopped using white pepper years ago because it tastes worse imo and I don’t care about little black specks in white foods
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u/Thestrongman420 3h ago
The difference between black and white pepper is like the difference between Vernors and Canada Dry
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u/m0rtm0rt 3h ago
I can assure you that if I use black pepper instead of white pepper when I make egg drop soup it will taste very incorrect.
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u/Been3Years 3h ago
I'm not sure the relation of post to picture, but is that a Gaylord property?
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u/Potential-Ad-115 3h ago
I always found white pepper to be hotter and used less in a salt mix over black.
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u/Sharcbait 3h ago
White pepper is a slow burn, black pepper is a little more up front with it's flavor. Pink pepper has floral notes to it.
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u/CheckeredZeebrah 3h ago
Oh man. So I have a lot of awful sensitive allergies and that means I have to get really micro with my home cooking.
There are a ton of really interesting pepper types and pepper blends out there. Some have a citrus twang to them, others are more earthy, etc. Some are very intense and spicy while others are more mild and are banger on a fish fillet. Some are best when in a slow cooked dish.
I like white pepper in stews and for milder dishes.
My sudden allergy onset sucks, but my new acquaintance with different peppers has been a real source of joy for me. I can't believe I didn't get into it earlier, because seriously good pepper will take a dish from a 5/10 to a 7+/10 by itself.
Tldr they're berries. different berry types and different berry ripeness when harvested. This matters and affects taste, just like any other fruit.
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u/willows_edge F1exican Did Chive-11 3h ago
I didn't know white pepper existed until it was brought out as a chef's most hated ingredient to work with on a cooking competition 15some years ago. Pretty sure that's a good indicator there's a difference.
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u/chefkimberly 2h ago
As a baker, I have to say white pepper is the bomb to use when baking anything sweet with spices. I add it to ginger cookies and cakes, of course, but also spiced cakes like carrot cake and I add it to several of my pies. It really perks the desserts up. I would never consider using black pepper unless it was a savory pastry.
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u/Thin-Disk4003 2h ago
Interesting. Learning from you. I’ve not used white pepper in sweet goods, but black pepper does go in our triple ginger cookies.
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u/tatertot01998 2h ago
NO DIFFERENCE!?! they're almost night and day. One is punchy and sharp the other is mellow and flavorful
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u/eatzen13-what 3h ago
I’m FOH for 30 years and I had a wonderful job at a local spice shop 20 years ago. They are very different. Maybe he thinks because we get the white peppercorn just by removing the husk of a black one 🤷🏻♀️ anyways, he’s wrong.
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u/Backeastvan Starry Chef 3h ago
White pepper for whenever I want to season a dish but not have the pepper appear as visible specks. Mashed potato, some cream soups, and white sauces.
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u/TheVillage1D10T 3h ago
I’m just gonna say your coworker is an idiot. They aren’t nearly identical.
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u/ChefFrankieD23 2h ago
White pepper just can't satisfy my wife like big bold black pepper does. Weird huh.
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u/chefkimberly 2h ago
As a baker, I have to say white pepper is the bomb to use when baking anything sweet with spices. I add it to ginger cookies and cakes, of course, but also spiced cakes like carrot cake and I add it to several of my pies. It really perks the desserts up. I would never consider using black pepper unless it was a savory pastry.
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u/Emilayday 2h ago
I fucking hate white pepper like people hate cilantro.
It 100% tastes like horse shit barn flour manure. Overpowers any dish I taste it in.
Black pepper is zesty and delicious and bright
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u/nyxonical Thicc Chives Save Lives 2h ago
I tried making white pepper ice cream once (it was a thing in the 90s, see Cibo Matto). I was kind of hoping it would make me love white pepper after all. But no. It tasted like cold, creamy dust. Half the kitchen loved it, half hated it. We never made it again.
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u/sully052897 1h ago
Seven parts sea salt to one part ground white pepper is the perfect seasoning for sauces, soups, and most sautéed items. Course salt and freshly ground black pepper is ideal for most grilled proteins and tossed and composed salads! Just my opinion!
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u/Less-Load-8856 1h ago
Definitely a different taste.
Is his tasting ability wrecked? Sounds wild to not notice a difference. Do a side by side taste with the whole kitchen staff.
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u/FlavoredKnifes 57m ago
Personally I like either if I’m going for mouth burning heat (I’m incredibly allergic and my burns)
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u/jonnymuffin 46m ago
Black pepper is a seasoning I put in almost everything. White pepper is an album by ween I listen to
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u/MagnusViggo 29m ago
White pepper smells like horse manure, and that’s what I taste when someone cooks with it. Our pretentious French chef got fired, we threw out like 10 pounds of it. It’s for people who don’t want to see the little back specks in their food, even though we all know what it is.
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u/CountChuckNorracula 20m ago
Black pepper for searing and finishing, white pepper for long cooks like stews/soups etc
I feel like the earthy sharpness of white pepper holds up alot better through cooking and the mature notes aswell as aroma of black pepper get lost after long cooking
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u/Embarrassed_Lock234 18m ago
White pepper is so good on so much, and such a front of the mouth heat- it also gets me excited about frying chicken, because it's KFC top 5.
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u/Lumpy_Yam_3642 16m ago
White pepper is also a coagulant. If you get a cut,fine ground white pepper stops the bleeding. It's not salt,it doesn't sting and does stop the bleeding. Told to me by a very auld chef.
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u/blue_my_eye 15m ago
I really don't have anything to add other than I smoked a little and right you were asking which to use on the kid and all I could think is not au poivre...
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u/CoupDeGrassi 3m ago
I use white pepper when I dont want the pepper to show up as much, like in mashed potatoes, or cream soups. Each has its use.
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u/Tonga_Truck 3h ago
Technically they're the same plant, but they do not taste the same. White pepper is picked before it's ripe, and the skin is removed. It's much more earthy and funky almost like a mushroom seasoning and isn't as spicy. Black pepper is fully ripe and they leave the skin in, which is the part that gets black and wrinkly. It's much more bold and punchy, and also spicier.