Natural form

Whole black peppercorns: dark, wrinkled spheres about 5 mm across.

Shows the intact dried drupe — the form most buyers encounter and the baseline for recognizing quality.

Spices

Black Pepper

Pungent, woody heat — best cracked fresh over anything savory

Freshly ground, black pepper adds warmth and a floral bite that pre-ground dust can't match. Buy whole peppercorns and grind to order; keep them airtight.

Black pepper is the dried, sun-cured berry of the Piper nigrum vine, picked unripe and sun-dried, during which enzymatic browning (oxidation) wrinkles and blackens the skin. Its heat comes from piperine — a warming, lingering pungency — wrapped in pine, citrus, and floral notes that vanish quickly once cracked. Pre-ground pepper is dusty and stale; whole peppercorns ground to order are a different spice entirely, bright and aromatic. Pepper seasons nearly every savory dish, blooms in fat, and finishes a plate with a fresh-cracked bite. Add it late for fragrance, or toast and crack it into braises for deeper warmth.

Measured in: g
Storage: Airtight

Find it in

Spices Seasoning

Types & varieties

Tellicherry

Larger, later-harvested Indian berries with bold, complex flavor — the connoisseur's choice.

Green peppercorns

Unripe berries brined or freeze-dried; milder, fresher, grassy.

Pink peppercorns

A different plant entirely — sweet, fruity, mildly resinous (note: a tree-nut-adjacent allergen for some).

Cracked vs ground

Coarse cracks give texture and bursts; fine grind seasons evenly.

Green Peppercorn

Unripe pepper berries, sold brined or freeze-dried, with a fresh, mild, herbaceous bite. Crush into creamy steak sauces, pâté and Thai curries where black pepper would be too sharp.

Pink Peppercorn

Not true pepper but a dried rose-red berry, fruity and faintly piney with mild heat. Crush over fish, salads and desserts for colour and perfume; brittle shells crumble easily underfoot of a spoon.

Long Pepper (Pippali)

Ancient catkin-shaped pepper, hotter and sweeter than black with a slow numbing warmth. Grind into spice blends, ras el hanout, or pickles; bloom whole in fat for fragrance.

Grind to order

Piperine and the volatile oils that carry pepper's aroma fade within minutes of grinding. Buy whole peppercorns, grind directly over the dish, and you get heat plus the floral top notes that pre-ground dust has long lost.

Adjust grinder coarseness by dish
Toast whole corns to deepen flavor
Crack with a pan or mortar for steak au poivre

When to add

For brightness, finish a dish with fresh cracks just before serving. For braises and long cooks, add early so the heat mellows and rounds — but refresh with a final grind, since cooked pepper loses its top notes.

Common uses

Steak au poivreCacio e pepe and carbonaraFinishing soups, eggs, and saladsBrines, rubs, and marinadesCream sauces and béchamelWhole in stocks and pickling spiceMignonette for oysters

Tips & pitfalls

Bloom ground pepper in oil or butter to release its aroma before adding liquids.
Crust steak in coarsely cracked pepper for au poivre.
A grind over fruit, strawberries, or even chocolate adds surprising warmth.
Toast whole peppercorns in a dry pan before grinding for a deeper, rounder flavor.
Keep the grinder set coarse for finishing and a second one fine for seasoning.

Nutrition

29kcal

Energy

121 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 11%Carbs 79%Fat 10%

Protein

0.9g

2% DV

Carbs

6.5g

2% DV

Fat

0.4g

0% DV

Fiber

2.8g

10% DV

Sugars

4.1g

of which

Sodium

3mg

0% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin C132% DV

Vitamin B625% DV

Vitamin E24% DV

Vitamin K15% DV

Niacin (B3)8% DV

Folate7% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Peppers, jalapeno, raw

View on FDC →

In the shops

Matched grocery products

Black Pepper Grinder
Hacendado · 65 g · Mercadona
€1.85
Bonpreu Very Black Pepper
BONPREU · Bonpreu
€0.95
Dried Peppers
Hacendado · 50 g · Mercadona
€1.90
Hot Red Pepper
BONPREU · Bonpreu
€0.79
Black Peppercorns
Hacendado · 70 g · Mercadona
€1.70
Sweet Red Pepper
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€0.79

Good to know

Flavor: Pungent, woody, floral heat from piperine
Forms: Whole peppercorns, cracked, freshly ground
Add when: Finish fresh-cracked; bloom in fat for cooked dishes
Cuisines: Universal
How to buy: Whole peppercorns and a grinder; never pre-ground
How to store: Airtight, dark, away from heat

Substitutes

White pepper — Milder and earthier; use in pale sauces where black flecks would show.
Pink peppercorns — Fruitier and gentler; good for a softer, aromatic bite.

Pairs with

Salt Garlic Lemon Parmesan Beef Butter Strawberry

Also called

pepper · ground pepper · pimienta · pimienta negra · pimienta molida