Long pepper

Long pepper is related to black, white, green, and red pepper

It means it belongs to the pepper family.

Like black pepper, long pepper is a climbing plant that grows in tropical countries. It is mainly produced in Indonesia and India, but it also grows in Cambodia.

The long pepper from Indonesia is longer and thicker than the variety from India. In India, where it mostly grows wild, it is called pipali. It is usually harvested unripe and then dried like normal black pepper. In Cambodia, however, long red pepper is also produced. This is the fully ripened, long pepper and is even more difficult to obtain in Europe than the long black pepper.

Long pepper was already known before round black pepper but was then displaced by round black pepper. Nowadays, long pepper is more of a rarity and more expensive than normal black pepper.

Long pepper is, as the name suggests, elongated. As if several small peppercorns were joined together. It is hard, around 2-4 cm long, brown-black, and resembles hazel catkins in appearance.

It is as hot as black pepper but has a more intense flavor

It tastes and smells slightly woody, earthy, warm, and “enveloping”.

Long pepper is usually used whole. Because of its shape, it cannot be ground in a pepper mill unless you break it into small pieces first.

However, it can be grated with a nutmeg grater or crushed in a mortar. It is used instead of black pepper in stews, curries, and fish dishes. If left whole, it can be very decorative in sauces. However, if it is cooked whole, it remains hard and is not eaten.

Try it in jams that are eaten with cheese. I made a great prune jam, but you can also try apricots. It also tastes wonderful grated over fresh fruit salad.