Welcome to the Celtnet Spice Guide. As this site has grown and many more recipes have been added it's become evident that a guide to the various herbs available to the cook is necessary. With spices becoming more commonly available and more exotic spices becoming available from all over the world it has become evident that some kind of guide or introduction to spices is necessary. These pages are an attempt at bringing all the various culinary spices together into one place so that you can see what's available and perhaps find something new to use in your own cooking. To use this Spice Guide simply click on the first letter of the herb name above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the guide. All the spices given here, whether common or rare, can be obtained via your local supermarket (or more often via your local Asian supermarket) or via a specialist spice distributor.

This is the description page for Pink Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the herb: Pink Pepper.

Pink peppercorns are the fruits of two species of South American shrubs Schinus terebinthifolius or Schinus molle both members of the Anacardiaceae (cashew) family. The plants are dioeceous (ie have separate male and female flowers), with small white flowers borne profusely in axillary clusters from which the red fruit develop.

The fruit are peppercorn-sized and are typically sold dried (though pink peppercorns pickled in brine are available). Though they are often called pink peppercorns or pink peppers, the do not have any 'heat' (in fact the comparison to peppers is a matter of size). In terms of sensory quality pink peppers are sweet and aromatic, reminiscent of a mild juniper berry.

The main aromatic contents of the dried berries are mono­terpene hydro­carbons, composed of Δ3-carene, α-pinene, α-phell­andrene, limonene, p-cymene and β-phell­andrene (in descending order). The fruit also contains a considerable amount of sugar (which accounts for its sweet taste). The berries of Schinus terebinthifolius have been reported as causing respiratory ailments and irritation of the mucous membranes. This may be because in Florida, where the species has become invasive, the fruit may contain urushiol-type allergens and cardanoles. However, the spice grown on the island of Réunion (the main producer) is entirely free of urushiols. But many entries describing pink peppercorns often have a warning about the toxicity or allergenicity of pink peppercorns. This, however, does not apply to commercial preparations.

There has also been some confusion about the two types of pink peppercorns. And some sources separate them into red peppercorns (Schinus terebinthifolius) and pink peppercorns (Schinus molle). This can be confusing with true red peppercorns (ripe black pepper fruit). But, with no better segregation in English I have used the same convention here.

Red Pepper: (also known as Brazilian Pepper, Aroeira, Christmasberry, Pink peppercorns, or Florida Holly) is not actually a pepper at all. Rather, it is the dried fruit of Schinus terebinthifolius a sprawling shrub or small tree some 7—10 m tall that is native to subtropical and tropical South America, in southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina and Paraguay. The fruit is a small red spherical drupe 4–5 mm diameter, carried in dense clusters of hundreds of berries. Though native to South America, the largest commercial producer of pink peppercorns is the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.

Pink Peppercorns: These are the fruit of the closely related species Schinus molle (Baies Rose, Peruvian Pepper, California pepper tree, molle, pepper tree, pepperina, Peruvian mastictree and Peruvian peppertree), originally from Peru, but now grown in Mauritius, is also used in a similar manner (but are more typically known as 'pink peppercorns'), do not contain the allergens that Schinus terebinthifolius fruit do and most red or pink peppers now tend to be Schinus molle. The Inca used the sweet outer part of the fruit to make a drink by rubbing the berries to remove the outer skin before straining the mixture and leaving for a few days. The fruit skins were also boiled down to make a syrup which could then be mixed with maize meal to form a gruel. Schinus molle is also grown in Turkey and around the Mediterranean.

The fruits of Schinus molle are larger than those of Schinus terebinthifolius, but are not commonly available as a spice. The use of pink peppercorns in cookery is fairly new and they are typically used for decorative effects. They are not peppercorns and do not lend piquancy to fruit. Instead they are fruity and aromatic. As a result pink peppercorns are better suited to cooking with vegetables or for use in garnishes (pink peppercorn butter is excellent for use with fish and asapragus). Pink peppercorn vinegar also makes an excellent base for a vinaigrette.

Veal with Red Peppercorn Sauce
Fillet of Beef with Green and Red Peppercorn Sauce
Grilled Pink Peppercorn Mackerel
Pink Peppercorn Salmon
Pink Peppercorn Pickled Mushrooms
Pepper Beef Stir-fry
Pink Peppercorn Vinegar
Thai Coconut and Rainbow-Pepper Chicken Soup
Eight-day Spiced Beef
Grilled Emu Fillet with Raspberry and Blackcurrant Sauce
Peppered Ham with Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce Glaze
Elder Vinegar
Tarragon Vinegar
Pepper Beef Stir-fry