If there’s one spice that has infiltrated American kitchens more than any other, it has to be Black Pepper. It’s been in the hearts and kitchen cabinets of Americans for centuries!

Black Pepper is indigenous to India, where as early as 1000 BC, traders from Southern Arabia controlled the spice trade and pepper routes. Eventually, the Silk Road was born. A trade route that stretched over 4,000 miles and allowed Italian traders to sell pepper as a luxury item in medieval Europe. As more trade routes were established, pepper’s popularity quickly spread throughout world cuisines. At one point, it accounted for nearly 70% of the international spice trade. As it became more readily available, the prices dropped, and ordinary people like you and I were able to enjoy it! Not just for the kings and queens anymore!

Today, black pepper has a bit of a bad rep. It’s often left forgotten in stale shakers and the back corner of dusty cabinets. We’re here to change that! Black Pepper is a totally under rated spice that with enough care can completely transform a dish – it doesn’t have to be a forgotten ingredient! When sourced with care and passion (as is the case with everything we do at Lafayette Spices!) the Black Peppercorn is an intriguing and complex spice.

Our Black Peppercorns are sourced from Vietnam and Brazil – two very hot climates that produce outstanding peppercorn products. The intense heat and humidity provide the perfect atmosphere for intense flavor and unparalleled quality. The flavors are not single note at all, but instead a deeply layered symphony of nuances. Flavors vary from woodsy to sharp and piney, to dried tropical fruits. This is certainly not your average table pepper – that will become more apparent as your start seasoning!

We offer three different formats for the Black Peppercorn – each has its own distinct set of uses and applications. Let’s start with the peppercorn in its purest form, whole. The whole peppercorn is best used in grinders or for seasoning soups, stocks, sauces, and pickling liquids when planning on straining the liquid before consuming. Having whole peppercorns on hand that go into a pepper mill (or spice grinder) is the best way to experience the fresh pungent flavor.

Our next format is the Coarse Grind – this is a fairly large grind, meant for seasoning cuts of meat, fish, and vegetables prior to cooking. It could also be used to finish dishes like salads, braises, and stews. It’s a little too big too big to seasoning soups and sauces – unless you really want to see the specs of pepper in the finished product. We recommend a liberal sprinkling of the coarse grind on a piece of beef before searing – perfection!

Our final format is a Fine Grind. This product is our outstanding Black Peppercorn, ground into a very fine powder. This grind size is ideal for soups and sauces – because it will add intense peppercorn flavor, without attributing a gritty texture to the finished product. Imagine a peppery bite in a smooth chicken veloute or a rich and creamy butternut squash soup. The Black Peppercorn Fine Grind was meant for that!

Regardless of the size and format, you can rest assured that Lafayette Spices Black Peppercorn will be paramount in finishing your future dishes. The intense spicy kick and bold flavors will certainly keep you coming back for more and you’ll start to notice some major differences in the complexity of your cooking. Lafayette Spices is bringing Black Pepper back! Get ready!