White Malabar pepper

The Aromas of Malabar White Pepper

With its fresh and slightly woody notes, it evokes delicate aromas of pine and eucalyptus. Its mild but persistent flavor leaves a pleasant warmth in the mouth, while its subtle fragrance adds an elegant touch to many dishes. Used sparingly, this white pepper offers an aromatic complexity that enriches both simple and sophisticated dishes, making it a precious ingredient in gourmet cuisine.

How to Incorporate Malabar White Pepper in Your Cooking

To use it, simply grind it fresh and add it to dishes such as grilled meats, fish, seafood, cream sauces, soups, risottos, and salads. Its subtle fragrance also pairs well with roasted vegetable dishes, poultry marinades, and pasta dishes.

Here are some recipe ideas to cook with Malabar White Pepper

• Grilled Salmon with Malabar White Pepper: Season salmon fillets with freshly ground Malabar white pepper, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Grill until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Serve with a sauce made of sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• Creamy Chicken with Malabar White Pepper: Brown chicken pieces in a skillet with a mixture of butter and olive oil. Add sour cream, ground Malabar white pepper, minced garlic, and fresh parsley. Simmer until the sauce thickens and serve with basmati rice.
• Roasted Potatoes with Malabar White Pepper: Cut potatoes into wedges and toss them with olive oil, salt, freshly ground Malabar white pepper, and fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme. Arrange them on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until golden and crispy.
• Creamy Risotto with Malabar White Pepper: Prepare a creamy risotto by sautéing Arborio rice in butter and onion until translucent. Gradually add hot vegetable broth, stirring regularly, until the rice is cooked. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, freshly ground Malabar white pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
• Tuna Tartare with Malabar White Pepper: Dice fresh tuna and mix it with olive oil, lemon juice, capers, finely chopped red onions, freshly ground Malabar white pepper, and salt. Serve the tuna tartare on cucumber slices or with tortilla chips for a refreshing and elegant appetizer.

Botanical Exploration of Malabar White Pepper

Malabar white pepper comes from the pepper plant, a climbing plant native to South Asia. Cultivated mainly on the Malabar coast in the state of Kerala, India, it is harvested from the ripe berries of the pepper plant. White pepper is harvested at optimal ripeness, stripped of its pericarp by retting, which gives it its white color and biting taste.

The Malabar Coast: the Historical Birthplace of Pepper

The first pepper plants originated in the state of Kerala, located on the Indian Malabar coast, making India the birthplace of pepper. The name pepper derives from Sanskrit (an Indo-European language): "Pippali," which gradually evolved into "pepper." Over the centuries, pepper has been introduced to other regions such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Madagascar, and more recently, Cameroon in the 1930s. Malabar pepper was among the first to be exported from India, starting around 1661. Pepper has played a central role in many discoveries throughout history. For economic or cultural reasons, people exchanged, traveled, bought, sold, and established counters... Traces of the use of Malabar pepper have even been found in the mummification process of Ramses II.