The Difference Between Black and White Pepper—Find Out Why It Matters

They’re actually from the same plant, but taste quite different. Find out why.

When you’re ordering spices online or wandering through the spice aisle at the grocery store, you have several options for a seemingly simple task: filling your salt and pepper grinders. Pink peppercorns, Himalayan sea salt, and flaky Maldon salt are trendy at the moment, however, good ol’ kosher salt and two types of pepper are timeless and remain the bestsellers: black pepper and white pepper.

In the pepper space, black pepper definitely gets the most play. But once you score a refresher from spice experts about black pepper vs. white pepper, you might be ready to switch teams—or add both to your collection.

Meet Our Expert

• John Fox, the Winona, Minnesota-based senior food scientist for The Watkins Co. (flavor experts and makers of gourmet spices, extracts, and baking decorations)
• Ethan Frisch, the Queens, New York-based co-founder and co-CEO of Burlap & Barrel Single Origin Spices

What’s the Difference Between Black Pepper and White Pepper?

Although black and white pepper might look starkly different—and they usually taste and smell distinct, too—all types of pepper come from the berry of the plant Piper Nigrum. This plant is native to India, and is now widely grown in other regions such as India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, and Sri Lanka. Peppercorns are the small, spherical fruits that grow in bunches on a climbing vine of these plants, similar to how grapes come to life. 

“The hot-tasting piperine [a natural alkaloid] contained in both black and white pepper is a powerful bioavailability booster,” says Ethan Frisch, the Queens, New York-based co-founder and co-CEO of Burlap & Barrel Single Origin Spices. (Translation: When you consume pepper while taking certain medications, roots, and herbs, science hints that it can significantly increase the rate of absorption.)

What Is Black Pepper?

Black peppercorns are made from unripe green Piper Nigrum berries that are picked and left to ferment for several days before drying, explains John Fox, the Winona, Minnesota-based senior food scientist for The Watkins Co. (flavor experts and makers of gourmet spices, extracts, and baking decorations).

“The outer black layer of the peppercorn contains the pulp of the fruit, which wrinkles and dries up like a raisin after harvesting,” Frisch adds. 

Due to the presence of this outer layer, the difference between black pepper and white pepper is notable. Here’s your expert guide to black pepper.

• Color: Yes, many kinds are black, but they can also be dark brown or dark green. In whole peppercorn form, they often have a slightly wrinkled appearance. Ground black pepper looks like a deeply-hued powder.
• Flavor: Due to the fruity outer skin, black pepper is a little sweeter than white. It’s pungent and often either woody or piney.
• Aroma: When you smell black pepper, it exudes warmth along with earthy, roasty, spicy, and woody notes.

What Is White Pepper?

“White peppercorns come from fully ripe red berries that are soaked in water for around 10 days after harvesting to remove the red skin and expose the inner white pit. These ‘corns’ are then dried,” Fox says.

The fiery piperine is concentrated in this inner white pit, Frisch says, which means white pepper is often sharper than black since there’s none of the sweet skin to tame the kick.

There are two main styles:

• European white pepper: The peppercorns are only soaked in water briefly to loosen the skin. This technique is primarily performed to alter the color so a dish wouldn’t end up with black flecks.
• Southeast Asian white pepper: The peppercorns are soaked in water for up to 2 weeks to allow for extra fermentation that results in an extra funky and savory layer of flavor.

We asked our spice guys to offer a general overview of the category so we could compare black pepper vs. white pepper.

• Color: White peppercorns are cream or light tan, or a mix of the two, and have a smooth surface. Once ground, it looks like a pale beige or cream powder.
• Flavor: It’s earthy, grassy, and sometimes slightly funky. White pepper delivers more heat that white and packs a sharper flavor than black.
• Aroma: White pepper is subtle on the nose, lending whispers of earthiness or mustiness.

Related: White Pepper Substitutes You May Already Have on Hand

Can You Substitute Black Pepper for White Pepper—And Vice Versa?

Both types of peppercorn will add a savory and bright flavor and aroma to any dish. Especially for recipes that call for a small amount, say, ½ teaspoon or a pinch, feel free to substitute black pepper for white pepper or white pepper for black. If you don’t prefer noticeable black flecks in your dish, white pepper is the better option.

“For most recipes, swapping them will change the flavor of the dish, but not in a major way. Certain traditional dishes are best prepared with one or the other, but in a pinch (sorry for the pun!) it doesn’t really matter that much,” Frisch says. “Use whatever you have available and it’ll turn out just fine.” 

If a dish is pepper-forward, such as cacio e pepe, black pepper biscuits, white pepper Alfredo, or peppercorn-crusted steak, “it’s best to use the type of pepper specified,” according to Fox.

How to Use Black and White Pepper

Celebrated as “the most commonly used spices in the world, that improve the flavors of almost any dish,” by Frisch, and lauded for being “some of the easiest spices to use since they go well with everything,” both black and white pepper are very versatile. 

“When added to a dish, pepper will add spice, heat, and depth, as well as visual interest if you opt for black,” Fox says. “It is highly versatile and can be used during various stages of cooking, or try it as a seasoning at the table, and add it just prior to eating.”

Consider the following expert-approved uses for pepper:

• In pasta sauces (white pepper is ideal for cream sauces, while black is a must for cacio e pepe)
• To season salad dressings
• On top of scrambled eggs
• To accent fish and seafood
• As a flavor-booster as you sweat onions, garlic, and aromatics
• To finish a stir-fry
• In soups (Fox is particularly fond of white pepper-spiked hot-and-sour soup), stews, and casseroles
• To lend a spicy kick to coffee grounds
• In gingerbread dough to complement the other spice flavors
• To perk up mashed potatoes

Keep in mind that while “ground black pepper delivers the utmost convenience in use as it is ready and easy to measure, the most flavorful way to use black pepper is to grind whole peppercorns in a mill.” Fox says. “The grinding releases the oils in the dried berry for the most fresh, robust pepper sensation.”

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