Ground Pepper



พริกไทยป่น
In Thailand, people actually only use white pepper, but black pepper is a fine substitute. White pepper is a little stronger and cleaner in flavor and I prefer it for most dishes, such as Pad Thai and Gang Leang. While many western dishes are much better with fresh ground pepper, most Thai dishes are better with pre-ground pepper.
Here in the US, ground white pepper from Thailand comes in a small tin box that looks like it came out of the 1920's.
Pepper is a vine that grows on a stake and has tentacles similar to orchid roots. The peppercorn bunch is 3- 5 inches long with small round green berries. When ripened, the peppercorn turns from green to yellow and red.
Black pepper is harvested while the peppercorn is ripe, but still green and is then sun dried. Green peppercorn yeilds 33% black pepper by weight.
White peppercorn requires much more work. The peppercorn is picked when the it is red and fully ripened. The peppercorn is soaked in water to soften the husk for 5-7 days. The husk is then removed. The peppercorn is then sun dried. Ripe peppercorns yield 27 percent white pepper by weight. Since white pepper does not have the husk, it is stronger than black pepper.
If you can find the white pepper kernels at oriental grocery stores, you will find that they are frequently much less expensive than major American brands (like 1/3 the cost). Black pepper is also frequently much less expensive.
Recipes made with ground pepper
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Bitter Melon Soup in Spare Rib Broth
Gang Jued Mara
Clear bitter melon soup slow cooked in sparerib broth.
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Chicken on Rice with Hot Yellow Bean Sauce
Kow Mun Gai
Chicken on rice cooked in chicken broth served with spicy soy bean sauce
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Giant Noodle Rolls
Goi Tiew Lohd
Tofu, bean sprouts and shrimp wrapped in fresh noodles and served with a spicy sauce
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Pad Thai
Stir fried rice noodles with chives, bean sprouts and shrimp.
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Garlic Pepper Ribs
Gradoog Moo Tod Gratiem Prigtai
Ribs or spareribs quickly marinated in garlic pepper and salt then pan fried.
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Tapioca Dumplings
Saku Sai Moo
Steamed dumplings with pork and peanut filling wrapped in tapioca pearls
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Pork Rice Porridge
Joke Moo Sub
Rice porridge with ground pork balls, chopped cilantro, green onion and ginger.
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Tom Yum Noodles
Guay Tiew Moo Tom Yum
Spicy and sour noodle soup served with crushed peanuts, powdered chili and lime juice
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