# Recommend me some pepper! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391 "2004-10-09T19:46:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/1 "2004-10-09T19:46:06Z")
Well, at the beginning of this school year, I got me a combination salt-shaker/peppergrinder. And it’s cool and see-through. (And flimsy. I bought it at Wal-mart for like 9 dollars, but I wasn’t planning on it lasting through the rest of this academic year. Anyway, I’m getting low on pepper. I know Wal-mart sells peppercorns in the spice aisle, but does anyone here have any others that they feel I should go buy instead of that? (I \<3 pepper.) ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/2 "2004-10-09T19:54:17Z")
A quick spin on Google came up with this site: [http://www.bulkpeppercorns.com/](http://www.bulkpeppercorns.com/). I’m not sure if that will be of any help, but it might give you some ideas about what your options are. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/3 "2004-10-09T21:20:00Z")
[Penzey’s.](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspeppercorns.html)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/4 "2004-10-09T21:26:52Z")
I agree, Penzey’s is worth the extra cash. Unless you can get Malabar black peppercorns cheaper in your neighborhood (I can). Malabar is Penzey’s second-string pepper; their best is the Tellicherry. But I can’t really tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/5 "2004-10-09T22:07:32Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > Unless you can get Malabar black peppercorns cheaper in your neighborhood (I can). Yet another reason to hate you, Ike. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/6 "2004-10-09T22:42:23Z")
Hmm… 2.99 for a 4-oz bag? It’s on my favorites for when I get closer to running out. Thanks, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/7 "2004-10-10T01:18:41Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Yet another reason to hate you, Ike. 😃 Hee hee hee. The [Park Slope Food Coop](http://www.foodcoop.com/), three blocks north of chez Ukulele. Want me to tell you about the fresh-picked orange cauliflower I had for din-din tonight? ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/8 "2004-10-10T14:19:18Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [Penzey’s.](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyspeppercorns.html)😃 Thanks for the recommendation. I drive by a Penzey’s all the time and never quite had the nerve to go in – I thought it was more of a restaurant supply place. I think I’ll go and poke around with all of the spices! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/9 "2004-10-10T15:14:35Z")
McCormicks (the spice manufacturers) have out two products of interest: coarse ground black pepper (not as good as fresh ground, but for me an acceptable substitute), and a small, disposable bottle that includes peppercorns and a peppermill top. One or both should be available in most supermarkets on the spice rack – as well as bottles of peppercorns. We regularly buy the coarse ground pepper as our table pepper. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/10 "2004-10-10T15:24:38Z")
Sarawak peppercorns are rather more expensive, but you can taste the difference. They have a light, almost fruity overtone to them that it’s almost impossible to describe without sounding like a complete wanker. ---
**Author:** ![herownself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8baadc/32.png) [@herownself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herownself)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/11 "2004-10-10T20:32:57Z")
For the true pepper-phile, Tellicherry is the only way to go. And I should know, for me, food is hardly food without fresh pepper. My husband jokes that I would eat black pepper ice cream. That’s silly, but pepper is serious. Go with the Tellicherry, you won’t be sorry. ---
**Author:** ![furlibusea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@furlibusea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furlibusea)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/12 "2004-10-10T20:53:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by fluiddruid > > > [@](#): > > > > Originaly posted by **silenus** > > Penzey’s. > > Thanks for the recommendation. I drive by a Penzey’s all the time and never quite had the nerve to go in – I thought it was more of a restaurant supply place. I think I’ll go and poke around with all of the spices! You really should. The home office and store is about three miles from me and its wonderful. When you walk in the store the smell hits you. This waft of scents from the world hits your imagination. I think I have done the last three wedding presants I had to do there, and I have a lesson plan covering the age of discovery that starts with spices from there. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/13 "2004-10-10T21:40:20Z")
> [@herownself](#): > > For the true pepper-phile, Tellicherry is the only way to go. > > And I should know, for me, food is hardly food without fresh pepper. My husband jokes that I would eat black pepper ice cream. That’s silly, but pepper is serious. Go with the Tellicherry, you won’t be sorry. Prove him right and serve it up. You can make terrific desserts with the right proportions of bitter fruits (cherries, apricots, strawberries, kiwifruit…whatever), pepper (or chili) and icecream. Just grab some fruit, pepper it and mix in to vanilla ice cream. You may be pleasantly surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/14 "2004-10-10T23:47:21Z")
> [@Ukulele Ike](#): > > Hee hee hee. The [Park Slope Food Coop](http://www.foodcoop.com/), three blocks north of chez Ukulele. Want me to tell you about the fresh-picked orange cauliflower I had for din-din tonight? Yeah, well, I can get fresh pasties anytime I want. Try THAT in NYC! _crawls back down into her plain ol’ white machine-picked industrial cauliflower hell_ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-pepper/268391/15 "2004-10-11T00:45:40Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Try THAT in NYC! C’mon over! We’ll walk five blocks up to Flatbush Avenue, and I’ll treat you to a Jamaican [beef patty](http://www.newyorkmetro.com/urban/guides/bestofny/food/00/jamaicanpatty.htm) from Christie’s. Spicy enough to blow a Cornishman’s head right off his shoulders. [sub]And quit flirting; **Eve** ’s gonna be all jealous.[/sub]