Black vs White Pepper: Origins, Spice Routes & Our Travels

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Where does black pepper come from, and what makes black and white pepper different? It was a detour during our travels through Sri Lanka that first led me to pepper vines, drying peppercorns and an unexpected fascination with the spice routes of Asia. This guide combines that original story with an explanation of how pepper is grown and processed.

Our Introduction to Pepper and the Spice Routes

Unlike me, my dad has never been adventurous in eating. He is a man whose tried nothing new since the days his granny cooked for him. Since then no pizza, no pasta, no rice… ever. None of that foreign yuck. If he knew he had eaten Indian spice he would likely choke on his stew, yet he uses it almost everyday.

With pepper being on Britain’s breakfast tables for as long as we’ve known its origins are rarely thought of to be Indian. Yes, pepper is an Indian spice originating from Kerala on the south coast of India (also known as the Spice Coast) where Kerala Tourism’s guide to spice plantations literally specialize in following this globally renowned spice.

Because it is now of course found everywhere; in my mum’s stew, in my stir-fry Thai Pad Cha, and seasoning my Japanese ramen noodles. As pepper is the world’s most widely traded spice. Admittedly I also knew very little of pepper before travelling to Sri Lanka where we are inadvertently diverted inland by a tsunami warning taking shelter with a self-sustained Sri Lankan hill man. I kill time poking through his gardens where I find trees with pepper vines and tin lids drying black peppercorns on the ground. At this time I came curious myself about both pepper and spice routes in Asia. So what’s the difference between green, black and white pepper?

Sri Lankan villager during our inland trip after the tsunami warning

Peppercorns growing on a vine in a Sri Lankan hillside garden

Freshly harvested peppercorns drying in Sri Lanka

What Is the Difference Between Black and White Pepper?

Being a nerd with way too much time on my hands I experimented myself. Both black and white pepper come from the same green pepper berry. The only difference between the two is that white pepper has the outer skin removed before the inner seed is left to dry in the sun. For black pepper the full berry, including outer skin, is left to wrinkle and dry in the sun. If you plan on making white pepper yourself the green peppercorn skin must first be removed by soaking and rubbing. Also red peppercorns (as above) are ripened berries which are actually quite rare.

Pepper berries prepared for our black and white pepper experiment

Black and white peppercorns separated into dishes during our experiment

White and black peppercorns after processing and drying

Black Gold: Pepper and the Historic Spice Routes

Black Pepper has been found in England since medieval times; travelling by silk roads long before the discovery of maritime spice routes in Asia (Vasco de Gama, 1498). The then known ‘Black Gold’ was a luxury few more than kings could afford. While the price is now more affordable the purpose for pepper hasn’t really changed. This riddle outlines it’s role in England during the 7th Century (Bishop of Sherborne).

I am black on the outside, clad in a wrinkled cover, Yet within I bear a burning marrow. I season delicacies, the banquets of kings, and the luxuries of the table, Both the sauces and the tenderized meats of the kitchen. But you will find in me no quality of any worth, Unless your bowels have been rattled by my gleaming marrow

Dried black peppercorns photographed for our spice routes story

Black, White, Green and Red Peppercorns Explained

Black pepper, white pepper and green pepper all come from the same climbing vine, Piper nigrum, but the fruit is harvested and treated differently. Black pepper usually comes from mature but not fully ripe berries that are dried with their outer covering intact. White pepper is generally made from ripe berries after their outer covering is removed. Green pepper is made from unripe berries preserved to retain their green colour, often by drying or pickling. Fully ripened pepper fruits can become red.

The University of Oxford’s botanical guide to black pepper explains how processing produces different types and flavours. This is why the black and white pepper in our kitchen need not come from two different plants.

Why Do Black and White Pepper Taste Different?

Black pepper retains the outer fruit layer and has a stronger, more complex aroma. White pepper has a different flavour after soaking and removal of the outer layer, sometimes described as earthier or more fermented. Fresh green peppercorns have a brighter, gentler character and are familiar in Thai cooking. The specific flavour depends on cultivation, ripeness, processing and storage.

Following the Historic Pepper Trade to Kerala

The Malabar Coast of southwest India, especially Kerala, was a major centre of the historic international pepper trade. Spices moved through long-established networks linking South Asia to the Middle East and Europe before European ships reached the Indian Ocean. Vasco da Gama arrived on the Malabar Coast in 1498, after which European maritime trade and competition expanded. Kerala Tourism’s guide gives background on the state’s spice-growing districts and heritage.

Can You Visit Pepper and Spice Plantations in Kerala?

Yes. Areas around Thekkady and Kumily in Idukki, along with parts of Wayanad, have spice plantations where visitors can learn about pepper vines, cardamom and other local crops. Some private plantations offer guided walks or farm stays. Check the operator and access conditions before arriving, and choose a visit that explains the growing and processing rather than focusing only on souvenir sales.

Spice Routes: Experimenting with Pepper