green pepper

Aromatic pepper

Green, pink, black, gray, white: these are the possible chromatic variations offered by the pepper plant ( Piper nigrum) ; what distinguishes one variety from another is simply the processing and maturation of the grains.

If black pepper embodies the distinction of being the spiciest in its category, and the white one the most delicate, green pepper is considered the most aromatic and herbaceous: it derives from the unripe fruit of the homonymous plant ( Piper nigrum) .

Brine

The peculiarity of green pepper is that of being generally preserved in brine: the immature drupes, still green, are immersed in a saline solution, blocking the enzymatic processes of an oxidative nature. In this way, it is possible to obtain not only a green color, but also gives the product softness and a decidedly aromatic taste.

Pepper color

The greenish hue of this pepper can also be the consequence of its processing, namely of drying, during which it undergoes a treatment with sulfur dioxide which prevents the loss of its chromatic tone.

Green pepper can also be preserved in vinegar.

In the Western tradition, black pepper and white pepper were mostly used, while green pepper sinks strong roots in far-off Thailand: in this country, in fact, it is customary to use the unripe pepper fruit in grains freshly picked from the plant .

Property

The properties of green pepper are almost identical to those of black pepper: the anti-fermentative and antiseptic potentials were already used in the past for food preservation.

Piperidine, piperine and piperettin are amides that give the spicy flavor to the essential oil of green pepper; thanks to these constituents, green pepper is used as a nervous and gastric stimulant. Pepper seems to favor digestion, because "pinching" is also perceived at the stomach level. It has febrifugal and antibacterial properties; because of this characteristic it is also used in some insecticides.

For external use, green pepper determines an action at the level of pain receptors: this is why, just like pepper in general, it exerts rubefacient properties, causing a mild skin irritation induced by the vasodilation of the capillaries. The rubefacient activity of the pepper remains, however, of lesser magnitude than that expressed by the chilli pepper.

The possible gastrolesive effect of green pepper is controversial, so in general - for precautionary purposes - it is advisable to limit its consumption in the presence of gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux or gastric ulcer.

Green pepper in the kitchen

Last but not least, green pepper embellishes dishes based on fish and meat and gives vivacity and flavor to many sauces and creams: if a mix of pink pepper, black pepper and allspice is combined with green pepper, a mixture that takes the name of Creole.

Green pepper, in the kitchen, goes very well with other spices, such as nutmeg, juniper and coriander.

In The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, by E. Gibbon, pepper was considered " the favorite ingredient in the most exclusive Roman cuisine ".