LAND OF PEPPERS: OTHER PIPER

This category groups together various species of Piper, other than the classic every day black pepper (Piper nigrum):

• Piper longum, or Cambodian long pepper,
• Piper capense, or Ethiopian Timiz pepper,
• Piper cubeba or Indonesian cubeb pepper ,
• Piper retrofactum, or Javanese long pepper ,

Piper borbonense, or Madagascan Voatsiperifery pepper

VOATSIPERIFERY PEPPER: The wild pepper

Its name comes from “voa” which means fruit in Malagasy and “tsiperifery” which is the name of the plant in Malagasy. It’s a very rare pepper which is harvested in the months of June to August, entirely by hand, by the local Malagasy villagers.

Voatsiperifery grows in the wild in the tropical forests of South-East Madagascar. It is difficult and dangerous to pick as the creeper grows as high as 30m and the berries only grow on the new young shoots. Piper borbonense has a fuller flavour and is spicier than piper nigrum. Its sharp, very fresh lasting taste, with floral, woody and citrus aromas is truly outstanding.

Voatsiperifery pepper tasting guide

Food and Spice pairing

• Lightens up lightly pan fried vegetables.
• Supports the structure of a hollandaise emulsion sauce.
• Enhances a herb roasted bass
• Brings out the flavours of roasted chicken.
• Try with sauted girolles.

PEPPER CUBEB: The tailed pepper

Unlike its African or Asian peers, cubeb pepper is not widely used in Europe. One of the reasons behind this is the strong Portuguese trade of black pepper in the 17th century. The Portuguese ousted the tailed pepper from the market fearing it would dethrone the king of spices…Now it's time to rediscover its treasures!

Cubeb pepper comes from South-West India, and has many names: cubeb, tailed pepper, Java pepper, to name but a few! It is a small tailed peppercorn harvested in Indonesia.

Cubeb pepper tasting guide

Food and Spice pairing

• Delicious with all Asian dishes.
• Enhances lobster tail
• Livens up roasted poultry served with its own stock.
• Perfect with a compote of exotic fruit.
• Spices up a mint chocolate dessert.

PEPPER TIMIZ: An endemic pepper

Part of the Piper capense botanical species, this endemic pepper grows in the wild in the forests of the South Western Ethiopian highlands, at altitudes of more than 2000m. The Manjo endogamous caste, renowned for their knowledge of the wild, were the only ones to pick this pepper and use it in their pharmacopoeia as early as the 14th century. They needed to know where to find the plants and to be sure they picked the right variety. This knowledge is still handed down among the Manjo today.

After the annual harvest, this long peppercorn is dried traditionally, on the hearth of local tukul homes, built out of eucalyptus wood and bamboo and enset fibres This is what gives it its characteristic smoky smell.

Timiz pepper tasting guide

Timiz pepper will:

• Enchant chicken liver terrines.
• Enhance lobster tail soup with citrus sauce.
• Delight sweetbreads glazed with sweet spices and liquorice.
• Bring a fresh note to fresh goat’s cheese with olive oil and fresh herbs.
• Spice up a bitter chocolate dessert served with benedictine sauce.

LONG RED PEPPER: Extraordinary notes of cocoa

The texture of this outstanding long pepper makes it perfect for all your sweet and sour dishes. Its powerful smoky exotic aromas and its supple and warm attack will enchant the most daring of chefs!

Long red pepper tasting guide

Food and Spice pairing

• Ideal in a terrine of foie gras d’oie.
• Sprinkle over roast lobster, with red wine sauce served with pan roasted charlotte potatoes.
• Perfect with roasted fillet of rabbit served with caramelized turnips.
• Enchants a dark cocoa dessert served with Chartreuse liqueur sauce.

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