Pepe - Grand Tasting

Pepper, originally from India, arrived in the western world about two thousand five hundred years ago, meeting the unconditional favor of doctors and gastronomes.
So little was known about the pepper plant that in imperial times the legend spread that it was harvested by monkeys, as the plant sprouted in places inaccessible to man.
The small fleshy fruit of the pepper contains only one seed which, harvested not yet ripe, represents green pepper, ripe and dried it becomes black pepper, while freed from the pulp it is white pepper. The ancients, knowing only the grains but not the plant, made the mistake of believing that white pepper and black pepper were two different trees.

Average weight per jar : 15 g

MUNTOK WHITE PEPPER – INDIAN OCEAN – It is among the most prized pepper varieties in the world, characterized by an elegant and delicate flavour. It goes perfectly with all types of dishes, especially fish.

CUBEBA PEPPER - ISLAND OF JAVA - Originally from the Island of Java, it was discovered by John Parkinson around the mid-1600s. It is a slightly sweet pepper, with nuances of flavor tending towards Cardamom and Clove and with a mentholated aftertaste. Ideal for those who love a slightly spicy but very aromatic pepper. Suitable for all types of dishes.

PIMENTO – MEXICO - It is characterized by its particularly large and smooth berries. It has the characteristic of having a flavor reminiscent of Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, all gathered in a single berry. It is a pepper that must be crushed by hand, with a meat grinder or a mortar. Ideal for both sweet and savory gastronomic creations.

SMOKED PEPPER WITH APPLE WOOD - INDIA - It is smoked using apple shavings, obtaining a very aromatic, fragrant, intriguing and original pepper. It is exceptional for enhancing meat, but also gives a unique note to fish carpaccio and cheese. Also excellent to use as a Rub for meat to be cooked on the BBQ or to season the dough of a hamburger.

SZECHUAN PEPPER – CHINA - Also called “Fagara”, it is not actually a pepper but a very dark red berry from China. After the small bitter seeds that are found inside have been removed, the berries are left to dry in the sun. It is a fresh tasting pepper with a slight lemony note. Ideal for veal, wild asparagus, chocolate mousse and sorbets.

BLACK PEPPER OF SARAWAK - MALAYSIA - Sarawak is the largest of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. It is from this distant and mysterious land, characterized by vast areas of rainforest both on the plains and on the plateaus, that the Black Pepper known precisely from Sarawak comes. Excellent used at the end of cooking on meat.

LONG BENGAL PEPPER – INDIA – It is originally from India, but today it is also widespread in Asia and North Africa. The scent is sweetish and the initial flavor is very similar to that of black pepper, but is characterized by a much stronger aftertaste. Due to its sweet aroma which is very reminiscent of chocolate, it can also be used for the preparation of desserts. Ideal for all meats, stews and cheeses. It is advisable to use it after breaking it by hand or grating it.

PINK PEPPER - SOUTH AMERICA - Also known as "falco pepper", it grows on the highlands of Bolivia, Chile and Peru on evergreen trees that can reach 7 m in height. It is not a real pepper, but a berry which, thanks to its aroma similar to that of pepper, is precisely referred to as pink pepper. Ideal with white meats, fish, scallops and chocolate mousse.

GREEN PEPPER – INDIA – Pepper that is not very spicy but has marked aromatic qualities with a pleasant note of mentholated freshness. Ideal for preparing sauces for meat dishes (for example Bembo Chianina fillet with green pepper sauce) but also for grilled fish.

TIMUT PEPPER - NEPAL - It has small and dark berries, an intense and strong aroma, with an exceptional citrus note reminiscent of grapefruit and the complex scent of passion fruit. Ideal for white meats, duck, prawns, lobsters, molluscs. It also divinely accompanies desserts, in fact it is recommended to associate it with chocolate, ice cream, fruit salads, mousses and semifreddos. It is used by breaking the berries in a mortar or with a spice grinder, and then roasting them dry for a few moments in a hot pan.

MALABAR BLACK PEPPER - INDIA - It is harvested by hand before it reaches maturity, selected and dried in the sun by activating the enzymatic process, which changes its color from green to black. Aromatic with scents of the woods and with a penetrating spiciness, it goes well with red meats and savory fish. Great to mix with spice melange, marinades and sauces.

BEMBO WHITE MELANGE – INDONESIA – BRAZIL – VIETNAM – SARAWAK - White peppercorns, fragrant and delicate, it has a sweeter and softer taste than black pepper. It adapts perfectly to all light-flavoured dishes, such as those based on fish or white meat, and is also perfect for flavoring sweets and desserts.

VANILLA GREEN PEPPER – BORNEO – It is very aromatic, not very spicy and with a note of mentholated freshness. The drying of the berries takes place together with Madagascar vanilla pods, which enhance the aroma. Excellent on raw fish and shellfish. Try it in infusion in hot milk for the preparation of creams and desserts.

SELIM PEPPER - AFRICA - Selim pepper pods contain about 5-8 seeds each. The fragrance is aromatic and penetrating, sometimes with smoky nuances. The aromas reveal notes of nutmeg, with mentholated hints. It is used for many traditional preparations such as soups, meat stews and also for barbecued meat. Since the pod brings with it the aromatic part, while the seed adds spiciness, it is advisable to open the pod, separate the seeds and pass them both through a mortar or pepper mill.

LAMPONG PEPPER – INDONESIA - The appearance is dark brown. The spiciness is intense and prolonged, accompanied by herbaceous hints, which recall green pepper not yet ripe. Notes of incense and woody scents are perceived on the nose, associated with an immediate and energetic spiciness. It is used in savory dishes, for meat, with cheese and on chocolate desserts.