white pepper (Indian, polish, taste, better)

[evening sun]

Do you like it? I prefer it on my food to black pepper, it is a bit hotter.

[eureka1]

Yes, I love it. And its not so disturbing to see on your food as is black pepper.

[Trekker99]

I find that black pepper has that immediate 'bite' and white pepper has that latent lingering heat.

I use both on occasion for seasoning certain types of meat.

[Miss Hepburn]

I use it mostly in Indian food...but many other places also.
Love the newness of flavor it gives.

I use only Fresh ground black pepper....if I do, just sayin. Such a better flavor.

[MillennialUrbanist]

White pepper and black pepper are the same plant. The only difference is that with white pepper, the black outer husk is mechanically polished off with sandpaper-like rollers. It's mostly about aesthetics. Ground black pepper doesn't look nice on some light-colored foods, like mashed potatoes or polenta, and it may crunch on teeth. So people prefer a barely-visible look and a finer texture of ground white pepper.

I'm sure the husk contains some flavors that the center of peppercorns doesn't, but the taste is still basically the same.

[DTL3000]

I've started using it a little recently because I found some in a local spice market. I mostly use it in Asian recipes. It has a more mellow flavor than black pepper in my opinion.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by eureka1

And its not so disturbing to see on your food as is black pepper.

Disturbing? I never thought of the appearance of black pepper (or any other spice) as disturbing.

[TheShadow]

Yeah, disturbing might be a bit strong of a description. I have white pepper, but rarely use it.

[elnina]

Originally Posted by Trekker99

I find that black pepper has that immediate 'bite' and white pepper has that latent lingering heat.

It has a bite because isn't pulverized like white pepper...

[Trekker99]

From the Chowhound website:

Black and white peppercorns are both the fruit of the pepper plant, but they are processed differently. Black peppercorns are picked when almost ripe and sun-dried, turning the outer layer black. To produce white peppercorns, this outer layer is removed before or after drying, leaving only the inner seed.

White pepper tastes hotter than black but is less complex, with fewer flavor notes. High-quality peppercorns of either type are more aromatic and have more floral, spice, and fruit notes than generic ones. Freshness is key to good white pepper, which turns stale and bitter faster than black.

Same, but not.