Is pink pepper really pepper?
No, pink pepper has very little to do with real pepper. Pink pepper is the fruit of a wild South American plant. There are several varieties of this tree. For example, in Peru, where it is called the Peruvian pepper tree ( Schinus molle ), or in Brazil, where the name is Schinus terebinthifolius , popularly known simply as "Brazilian pepper". All variants contain neither piperine nor essential oils and therefore do not belong to the group of pepper plants.
What is real red pepper?
But luckily there is also real red pepper, which is an alternative. This pepper is rare and expensive, but I have it in the Pure Pepper Collection because I think it is the tastiest pepper. Real red pepper is the fully ripe peppercorns of a real pepper plant (Piper Nigrum). And they are a rarity because there is a high risk in leaving the pepper spike on the plant for so long. Drought or heavy rain or hungry birds can destroy the harvest.
How can I tell real red pepper from pink pepper?
If you want to know whether you have real red pepper or pink pepper, take a close look at the shell. Pink peppercorns have a fragile, thin shell that breaks and crumbles easily. In contrast, the shell of real red peppercorns is a little smoother and does not break. Real red peppercorns are also heavier. And of course the color, real red pepper has red-orange to red-brown tones. Pink pepper, on the other hand, is really more pink. And of course the taste is worlds apart.
Buy real red pepper now.
