Black Pepper has a fresh but warm, citrus, woody aroma with a hot and sharp pungency and a penetrating aftertaste. It is often used as a basic seasoning with salt to enhance savoury dishes and is an important component of many spice mixes such as baharat, berbere, garam masala, ras el hanout and quatre épices. Black Pepper brings out the flavour of other spices and retains its own flavour well during cooking. Whole corns are added to slow-cooked dishes when there is time for the flavours to mingle with other ingredients or may be crushed or ground when the flavour needs to be extracted quickly. Whole peppercorns are also preferred in pickles as ground spices may cloud and discolour the end product. When crushed, Black Pepper can be pressed into steaks before grilling and added to marinades for meat or fish. Ground Black Pepper can also be sprinkled over fresh fruit, such as strawberries, to good effect.
