El consejo de Rachael Ray para saber cuándo usar pimienta negra o blanca
Rachael Ray recomienda invertir también en pimienta blanca, que aporta un picor suave y gradual, distinto del intenso de la pimienta negra.
Pepper is usually the most common seasoning after salt in American kitchens, and most home cooks use black pepper. In a segment on The Rachael Ray Show, Ray explained when it's appropriate to use white pepper: "Its flavor is different from black pepper," she said. "It has a mild, gradual heat, as opposed to a sharp, hot pepper." If you add enough, it will also be spicy.
Ray points out that white pepper is less pungent and more subtle than black pepper: "It's milder, has a more even flavor in the mouth, and is very earthy." That's why he reserves it for meats and light sauces, such as beef, chicken, pork, and white sauces like béchamel. In light-colored dishes, it also avoids the dark specks left by black pepper.
Black pepper is ideal for dishes that need a spicy kick, or to complement intense flavors without overpowering the other ingredients. In Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, fermented white pepper is more common, regardless of the other ingredients.
Both black and white peppercorns come from the same plant, Piper nigrum, and their berries are actually stone fruits. Black pepper is harvested before it ripens and sun-dried with its husk. White pepper is harvested when ripe, soaked, and hulled; then the seeds are sun-dried until they acquire their creamy color. Unfermented white pepper can have floral or fruity notes, while fermented white pepper, used in South Asia, is more intense and umami-rich.
Nutritionally, both are very similar and provide a good variety of vitamins. If the recipe calls for little pepper, either black or white pepper can be used without any problem. But in dishes that call for a lot, like cacio e pepe pasta, it's best to use the specified type. And, whichever you choose, freshly ground pepper always has more flavor.
