A whole peppercorn blend of four colours - black, white, green and pink - meant to be loaded into a pepper mill and ground fresh over your food. Three of the four colours come from the same plant, the true pepper vine (Piper nigrum), picked at different stages and cured differently: black peppercorns are the ripening berries dried in the sun for a sharp, citrus-and-pine heat; white peppercorns are fully ripe berries with the outer skin removed, giving a cleaner, earthier bite; green peppercorns are the youngest, picked unripe and dried quickly to keep their colour and a fresh, herbal note. The pink peppercorns are the odd one out - they are not true pepper at all, but the dried berries of the pepper tree (Schinus), added for colour and a soft, sweet, slightly fruity finish. Whole peppercorns hold their aroma far longer than ready-ground pepper, because the oils stay locked inside the corn until you crack it. That is the whole point of this mix: keep it in the grinder, and every turn releases all four layers at once - heat, earthiness, freshness and a sweet top note in a single grind. How to use it: fill your pepper mill and grind it coarse over steak, lamb chops and grilled meats, or set it finer for sauces, soups, dressings, scrambled eggs, pasta and roasted vegetables. A cracked rainbow-pepper crust is the classic finish for steak au poivre, and a few turns over a fresh salad or a wedge of cheese adds colour as well as flavour. You can also lightly crush the corns in a mortar when a recipe calls for whole or coarsely cracked pepper. Available in 100g, 250g and 500g resealable sizes - the larger packs are made for refilling your grinder again and again. Store somewhere cool and dry, away from direct light, and grind only what you need so the rest stays fresh.
