A Passion for Pepper Spans the Globe

Remarkable Variety Sampled from India, Ecuador, Vietnam and More

Nov 22, 2009 Jacqueline Church

Black Peppercorns (piper nigrum): traded as currency, gifted to royalty, fueling the spice trade. Which gourmet peppercorns also make perfect hostess or holiday gifts?

Black Peppercorns (piper nigrum) come in a surprising variety of flavors. Smoky, flowery, spicy, woody, a sampling from passionate entrepreneurs made it clear that there's a wide world of pepper out there. Now, this range is available for delivery to your door. Just in time for holiday gift-giving.

Did you know? Black pepper and ginger were the two most traded spices in the 13th & 14th centuries. Ancients offered pepper to the Gods. For a sprinkling of other pepper facts and a recipe for fish, see: Black Peppercorns Good as Gold

Moving from mildest to strongest, here’s a sampling of peppercorns available through mail order specialists Pepper-Passion. Gourmet peppercorns make wonderful hostess or holiday gifts. If someone’s been very good, you may want to include a custom made pepper mill.

Take a crack at gourmet pepper from some place new:

Lampong

From Indonesia, this is one of the more common, often unnamed varieties in a bottle of “black peppercorns” on your supermarket shelf. Use these in place of those grocery store peppercorns (who knows how long they’ve been sitting there or in a huge warehouse somewhere?) The mildest of the selection, they still “pop” peppery bite in your grinder in a way that is noticeable as compared to generic “black pepper.”

Sarawak

Woodsy, a little musky then heat at the end. These Malaysian peppercorns are often used to produce white pepper, in which the outer layer (called the “pericarp”) is removed. As a black pepper this one has a long hot finish.

Malabar

Notes of cedar and juniper flavors and aromas emanate from these peppercorns from the Indian Coast. The Malabar Coast has the climate which favors the large climbing vines of piper nigrum. It was at the heart of India’s, and the world's, spice trade.

Tellicherry

Vine ripened Malabar, often misused term applied to any larger sized peppercorns whether or not they are in fact Malabar or Tellicherry. Tellicherry are left on the vine longer and have the same cedar notes with more fruit and flower notes.

Vietnamese

Lemony-citrusy notes distinguish these peppercorns making them a natural for fish and seafood.

Pohnpei

These organic peppercorns have a sweet flavor and come from a small island in Micronesia. They’re beautiful almost glossy black peppercorns and very expensive as production was interrupted and farmers plowed fields under when the government became “over involved.” Only small amounts of these peppercorns are available making them a prized treat for the gourmet on your list who likes to have the next big thing.

Madagascar

Hickory smoke flavor of these peppercorns would make them a natural for griling and steak rubs. This is the pepper that Wolfgang Puck uses in his New York Steak with Madagascar Peppercorn and Port Wine Sauce. They come from the island off the coast of Africa.

Talamanca

Gourmet Magazine’s favorite, great for Caesar salad and steaks. It’s described as “life-changing” and bold and hot. It’s a full subtle heat and well-rounded flavors. Why not try this one in a dessert? Cherries, peaches or strawberries would all pair well.

The copyright of the article A Passion for Pepper Spans the Globe in Gourmet Food is owned by Jacqueline Church. Permission to republish A Passion for Pepper Spans the Globe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.