Pink pepper: the peppery berry that is not a true pepper

Where does pink pepper come from?

Pink pepper comes from Schinus molle, the Peruvian peppertree, and Schinus terebinthifolia, the Brazilian peppertree, both in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Wikipedia's pink peppercorn article stresses that they are not related to commercial pepper, Piper nigrum, even though they are often blended with it. Schinus molle grows from the Peruvian Andes to southern Brazil. In France, only the fruit of Piper nigrum may be sold simply as "poivre"; Brazil and Madagascar are the main producers of pink berries.

What does pink pepper smell like?

Pink pepper is aromatic and peppery. In Schinus molle, the bark, leaves and berries are all aromatic when crushed, and the French Wikipedia page on the tree notes that its crushed leaves give off a strong smell of pepper. The berries' peppery flavour is one reason they got their name.

What does pink pepper do in a perfume?

Schinus molle is used as a raw material in perfumery. To place pink pepper in the woody family, smell it beside black pepper, whose smell comes from different molecules, or beside another spice such as ginger.

What should you know about pink pepper?

Because pink pepper belongs to the cashew family, it may cause allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people with a tree nut allergy. The sap of Schinus terebinthifolia contains alkenyl phenols such as urushiol and cardol, which can cause contact dermatitis similar to poison ivy, so any skin reaction is a question for a doctor or pharmacist. In 1982 the US FDA banned imports of Brazilian peppercorns from France, citing symptoms like poison ivy reactions; the French government held that berries grown under prescribed conditions were safe, and the ban was later lifted.