Named after the Indonesian port of Muntok the pepper is shipped from, the peppercorns are creamy-white in appearance and have a biting hot, pungent flavour. The pepper is produced from the same berries as black pepper but the outer pericarp or husk is removed by soaking and the process is referred to as 'double-washed' giving a clean creamy appearance. White pepper is used in place of black pepper where the presence of black flecks would spoil the look of a sauce but also because the less complex flavour and heat suits many dishes better than black pepper.