Peppercorns are dried berries from the piper nigrum flowering vine. There is a large variety of different types of peppercorns and their subtypes. Here are a few important ones to know.

• Black peppercorns are the most popular type of peppercorn we see on the market. Different varieties to check out include Tellicherry& Malabar.
• White peppercorns are a pungent, spicy and fruity dried berry that comes from the same plant as black pepper, but the outer shell is removed. Different varieties to check out include Muntok& Sarawak.
• Pink peppercorns should not to be confused with the rare red peppercorn as they are very different. Pink peppercorns are subtler in spiciness in comparison to their counterparts. They are also technically not a peppercorn but rather a berry.
• Green peppercorns are unripe black peppercorns that tend to be preserved in a brine and used in sauces. The whole peppercorn can be eaten when cooked or preserved as they are soft and mild in flavour.
• Long peppercorns are exactly what they say they are. They are long, dried peppercorns that are beautifully aromatic, floral and fragrant with minimal kick.
• Szechuan peppercorns are not peppercorns but berries that are related to the citrus family. They are not spicy but rather have a nice, unique lemony tang.

Some of the TasteTro blends that include black peppercorn are our Zesty Italian blend, Calgary Steak Spice blend and our Big Tasty Burger blend.

With our kid’s being back to school, we’ve had to adjust our routines to accommodate school drop-offs and pickups, soccer practice, gymnastics and those dreaded early morning hockey sessions. The last thing we want to fall behind on is food prep for lunches and dinners. We understand it can be super difficult to eat healthy and to feed your family nutritious food while still keeping everything easy to prepare and delicious. This is why we came up with six tricks to help you shave off time in the kitchen but still keeping nasty chemicals, preservatives and food additives out of your food.

In North American culture we tend to brush off spices and forget to add them to our food, but when we get the opportunity to eat a proper Indian or Mexican dish, they become top of mind again. Spices have the power to bring out the best in every dish, even if all we are doing is just adding salt and pepper. So why not explore this world? Below we will speak to the science of spices as well as talk about a few key spices that will help bring your dishes to life and help you understand how they work together.

Barbecue season is upon us, so why not make the most of it and do it right? We’ve come up with five important steps to consider when looking to perfect your barbecuing game.

1. Build Flavor.
2. Temper Your Ingredients.
3. Know Your Cooking Temperatures.
4. Perfect Pairings.
5. Finishing Touches.

TasteTro Spice System: Spice Blends at a Touch of Button

Guacamole Recipe

3 ripe avocados

1 lime, juiced

1 jalapeno

2 ripe tomatoes

1/4 bunch of cilantro

2 tsp. TasteTro adobo seasoning

1. Halve, peel and roughly dice avocados. Place in a medium bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Squeeze lime juice on top and mix into the avocado.
2. Dice tomatoes and add.
3. Deseed jalapeño and dice finely. Add to avocado mix.
4. Remove leaves from cilantro stems. Roughly chop leaves and add to bowl.
5. Sprinkle TasteTro seasoning on top of ingredients in bowl and mix. Enjoy with veggies or natural crackers.

5 Ingredients To Be Wary of When Buying Packaged Foods

With the holidays just around the corner, festive parties and gatherings are on everyone’s list. Cooking at home for your loved ones and best mates is something that happens naturally for most. When it comes to it, we all want to be able to put on that amazing dinner party that everyone raves about. But how do we go about putting on one of those beautifully decorated and decadent dinner parties you see on Pinterest? I mean, the food alone is one of the most difficult parts. Sides and salads are doable, but what about the meat? Most people have a fear of serving meat at dinner parties as it can be quite the skill to perfect. Well, fear no more! TasteTro is here to help this holiday season. Our TasteTro chef is giving away 5 amazing tips on how to cook your meat so that it turns out perfect every time. No more nervous nail biting around whether your guests will like the main meat dish you cooked or not.

The change in season and the onset of cold weather is calling on heartier comfort foods. For this reason, we could not be any more thrilled to showcase some of our favorite TasteTro soup and stew recipes. Our feature soup of the month, Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup exemplifies all of the important components of what makes a good, hearty soup so satisfying during the winter months.

So, what makes a soup good? Here are 4 helpful tips:

Pairing Spices and Wine

When it comes to spicy foods, there is a tendency to autopilot toward beer to refresh and recharge our awakened palates. But beer isn’t the only option – wine can often bring out the best a spicy meal has to offer. The trick is finding the perfect pairing to complement every aspect of your dish, while tampering the newfound fire on your tongue. We spoke with Erika Tocco, Wine Director from Vin Room in Calgary, about the best approach to pairing wine with a spicy dish.