Pepper is renowned for its spicy aroma and fiery taste. It grows in clusters on a spike, beginning as a small 4 mm sphere that is deep green due to the chlorophyll on its outer skin layer. As it ripens, it transitions from green to red. To produce white pepper traditionally, as done in Indonesia and China, the berries are harvested when fully mature and red in color. These fresh red berries are then soaked in water for several days, during which the red outer skin is removed through abrasion. This process exposes the white inner core of the berry. The soaking period induces fermentation, releasing a chemical compound known as skatole, which imparts a faint odor often described as ‘cow-stable’ smell to white pepper.
White Pepper (Piper Nigrum)
Pepper is renowned for its spicy aroma and fiery taste. It grows in clusters on a spike, beginning as a small 4 mm sphere that is deep green due to the chlorophyll on its outer skin layer. As it ripens, it transitions from green to red. To produce white pepper traditionally, as done in Indonesia and China, the berries are harvested when fully mature and red in color. These fresh red berries are then soaked in water for several days, during which the red outer skin is removed through abrasion. This process exposes the white inner core of the berry. The soaking period induces fermentation, releasing a chemical compound known as skatole, which imparts a faint odor often described as ‘cow-stable’ smell to white pepper.
