# What Are Pink Peppercorns?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-pink-peppercorns/279431>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 12, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-pink-peppercorns/279431 "2004-12-12T09:26:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-pink-peppercorns/279431/1 "2004-12-12T09:26:34Z")

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I just bought a jar of peppercorns-it includes black, green, and pink. I know black and green are the same (the black are just sun-dried green peppercorns), but what are the pink ones? Are they a different species of pepper?

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**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-pink-peppercorns/279431/2 "2004-12-12T09:46:56Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \ ***Pink Peppercorn**
> 
> A berry that is grown on trees in tropical areas that is not actually a true peppercorn. The pink peppercorn is a very small berry, similar in appearance to a peppercorn, that has a thin papery texture and a mildly sweet flavor. Grown in South American regions as well as France, Indonesia, Thailand, and the West Indies region, this berry is freeze-dried or brine cured to be used in salads or fish, poultry and vegetable dishes, providing a slight aroma, a pleasant color and a crunchy texture.\*

[http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=37010&catitemid=](http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=37010&catitemid=)

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-pink-peppercorns/279431/3 "2004-12-12T18:20:17Z")

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They’re for girly-men.

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**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-pink-peppercorns/279431/4 "2004-12-12T19:41:42Z")

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- 
  - 
    - I believe in one of William Poundstone’s _Big Secrets_ books, he reveals that “gourmet” pink peppercorns are essentially the berries of a weed that commonly grows wild all across the southeastern US.  
~