#Sarawak peppercorns skin#

Pepper was so valuable it was often used to pay rent and included in the dowries of young brides. As a trade commodity, it was once considered more precious than pearls with the Arabs turning the secrets of pepper growing into fantastical myths involving guardian serpents and wild fires that apparently turned the pepper black. In Egypt, black peppercorns were found stuffed into the nostrils of Ramses II, as a part of his mummification process after his death in 1213BC. Indigenous to southern India, pepper dates back over 4,000 years.

Alfonso is passionate about his pepper, “We add no chemicals or pesticides.” he says, “Caring for pepper vines is like caring for human beings if the plants are not looked after and supported properly they will become unhealthy and shabby looking.”Ĭonsidered the king of spice, pepper is the most widely used seasoning around the world. Concrete, PVC pipes and other sorts of timber have all been tested but nothing is as effective as Belian. These timber posts, Alfonso says, are the secret to Sarawak’s pepper farming success. The small seedlings are planted with care, with only a little natural fertiliser added to the soil and supported by strong hardwood posts made out of Belian, a local rainforest ironwood. These are not for sale, they’re planted to keep the ground healthy and of course, to cut down on the weekly grocery bill.Īlfonso bends down to point out a young plant and explain the growing process. Spotted through the vines, we notice a scattering of banana trees, durian trees, pineapple plants and flashes of red chillies. Between 2 and 4 metres high, Alfonso has 475 pepper vines in total, not a lot but enough, he tells us, to support his family. Pepper, Alfonso tells us, grows best on slopes or hillsides, as it requires good drainage.Ī few metres off the roadside and we’re surrounded by columns of vibrant green pepper vines. Vivacious and welcoming, Alfonso ushers us into the heart of his pepper farm, advising us to be careful not to slip, as the ground is steep and slippery. Their forefathers would have been headhunters, but that’s another story. We’ve come to meet Alfonso Sapis, a local farmer who has kindly agreed to show us around his small but thriving pepper plantation.Īlfonso is indigenous to Sarawak his family are Iban, or Sea Dayaks, one of the seven main indigenous groups of Borneo. We’re on the island of Borneo, home of the hornbill and orang-utan, about 30km out of Kuching, the main township in the state of Sarawak, in what’s known as east Malaysia. The land here is rich and fertile, you can almost feel the rainforest growing. Lush, velvety green with tendrils that envelope all that it touches. The predominant colour around us is green. A silvery blanket of mist hangs in the air, making the distant mountain range appear smeary and smudged.

The earth is red and sticky and clings to our shoes. It’s hot, but that’s to be expected, we’re in the tropics. This results in a smooth, bright white peppercorn with outstanding flavor.įresh, natural, pure herbs and spices blended and packed in Australia from imported and local ingredients then flown directly to our California Epicurean Kitchen.It’s mid morning when we arrive at our destination and step out of the air-conditioned comfort of our seen-better-days people mover.

#Sarawak peppercorns skin#

Malaysian Sarawak white peppercorns are the best grade the green berries are left on the vine until they start to ripen, and then they are packed into burlap sacks and placed in a running stream for two weeks until the outer skin loosens and washes off. The peppercorns are treated with water to remove the skin, and then sun-dried. When picked, they are a yellowish-pink color. White peppercorns are picked from the vine when they are almost ripe - much later than black or green peppercorns. They are used often in French cooking, and are especially useful in white soups and sauces that require pepper, because they won't add the little black flecks that black peppercorns would. White peppercorns contain less essential oil than black peppercorns, as this is in the skin, so they have less aroma and a sweetish pungency to them. High quality, naturally cleaned Sarawak white peppercorns. Sarawak White Peppercorns are known for their superior flavor, aroma, size and color.