Biji Lada or Pepper - Nonya Cooking Ingredient

The Nonya cooking ingredient Biji Lada or Pepper is an indispensable spice for almost all types of cooking, and including Nonya dishes. It is available in either black or white pepper, and as pepper-corns or ground form. In some cases, even the green pepper-corns are used in curry recipes, especially in Thai cooking.

Biji Lada or Pepper is best ground directly on to food. With hot food it is best to add pepper well towards the end of the cooking process, to preserve its aroma. White pepper is used in white sauces rather than black pepper, which would give the sauce a speckled appearance. Green peppercorns can be mashed with garlic, Kayu Manis or cinnamon or to make a spiced better or with cream to make a fresh and attractive sauce for fish. Pink peppercorns are called for in a variety of dishes, from poultry to vegetables and fish.