Hello to the whole community of SpiceMazing. Do allow us to introduce you to our magnificent spices!!. In this wonderful family, we explore magnificent ingredients that awaken and arouse our taste buds. This month’s topic is about a spice as old as the world but whose delight and flavor in our dishes will always mesmerize us: Penja pepper.

THE NIGRUM PIPER or PENJA PEPPER

It is an exceptional pepper. It has a strong and pure taste due to the rich mineral volcanic soils in which it grows. It is considered to be one of the best in the world and is used by many chefs around the world.

Where does it come from?

Several decades ago, around 1951,  Antoine Decré a bananas planter in Penja a town in Cameroon (whose volcanic soil is very fertile), introduced the cultivation of PIPER NIGRUM  from India.

At the beginning of this adventure, very few planters followed him and this production remained discreet and local. He did realize the first export only 7 years later in 1958 with a bag of 40kg of white pepper to Europe.

Later, other great planters invested in it from Paul BRETON to Dick SCOTT. This marks the beginning of the great reputation of “Penja pepper” which in 2013 received the 1^st African PROTECTED GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION.

 Others PIPER peppers

There are several varieties of pepper around the world /

• piper bordonese or wild pepper from Madagascar (voatsiperifery): small black grain and very aromatic frieze.
• Piper cubeba or Indonesian-tailed pepper: brown berries with a small appendage; it is camphor, tasty and balsamic
• Indian Tellicherry pepper: large dark brown grain. Long persistence in the mouth of spicy and woody note.
• The longum piper or long pepper of Sri Lanka: it is long and dark brown, it is extremely woody and spicy with a taste of cinnamon, slightly sweet. There is a variety called African long pepper, highly praised in traditional dishes.

The variety that catches our attention today is the PIPER NIGRUM made available to you at home thanks to SpiceMazing available in various formats: 60g, 140g, 250g, and 600g. Check our shop page to buy this fine pepper and try it yourself.

If you don’t know it, you should try it because it is just great!!!

It is the best known and most common variety of peppers. We get out of it:

• Green pepper: harvested at 06 months and used fresh, dry, freeze-dried, or brined

Cooking: popular in French and Thai cuisine, it is less spicy and is used for these sauces cream, béchamel, butter … to sublimate meats and fish

• Black pepper: harvested before maturity and dried in the sun where it blackens and wilts to give the most aromatic version.

Cooking:  it is used in many dishes, especially traditional African and Asian dishes.

• Red pepper: harvested at maturity after 09 months and dried in the sun with its red bark.

Cooking: its pungent and intense taste, with a caramelized fragrance, can perfectly match with poultry, duck, and pork, which it manages to enhance its powerful fragrance.

• White pepper, harvested ripe when the bark of the berry turns red. The red envelope is removed by soaking and the seed is dried until whitening.

Cooking:  It is a sure ally of chefs and cooks for its ability to season and raise any dish. They all call it cute pepper. An indispensable element in our kitchens, it overcomes any basic meal to make revelations. It meets everyone’s expectations.

These colors correspond to the degree of maturation. Its taste varies according to its terroir of culture.

Yummy, yummy, yummy!!

In general, the Piper nigrum of  Penja can be used in cooking, pastry, and biscuit. It is a marvel to season your red and white meats as well as your fish. Especially, fish with firm flesh such as sole. It sublimates seafood: pan-fried prawns, fresh mussels, and enhances the taste of omelets, butter mushroom dishes, mashed potatoes, or fresh vegetables.

Mold a little Penja pepper into your pâtés and rillettes to boost the taste of freshness. Additionally, it is irresistible in a half-cooked foie gras.

In sweet dishes, the Penja pepper will sublimate your fruity desserts and of course, its association with chocolate is always a success.

Chefs and cooks around the world love it for its very pronounced fragrance, aromatic characteristic flavor, and pungent taste, but with conviction. Able to season any dish, the piperine provides this feeling of warmth in the mouth to better awaken our taste buds for a real delight.

Why is it spicy?

Thanks to piperine, a plant-based alkaloid that excites the lining and sensory nerves of the nose, it can make you sneeze if you have fun breathing over powdered Penja pepper.

Health attributes of Penja pepper

Piperine has  several properties:

• Antimicrobials
• Antiseptic
• Anti
• Protective hepatic (liver)
• Recommended for nausea, lack of appetite, and constipation
• Powerful natural food preservative
• In the event of a cut, sprinkle lightly on the notch and this will stop the bleeding and reduce any risk of infection.

I love it, I keep it !!!

Keep fresh green pepper dry for a long time in the refrigerator. And if it is brined, it can be kept in the freezer for a longer period.

Dry or freeze-dried, whether black, white, red, or green, piper nigrum can be kept in a dry, light-free spot and ventilated environment. It has a shelf life of 03 years.  Once crushed, it should be eaten quickly because it loses its flavor after a few months.

Always buy your pepper in grains from SpiceMazing because its’ origin is attested. It comes from the planter directly to your plate: thus  Better quality! Our different formats are suitable for all users, from low to heavy users, and as time goes on you will be able to recognize this variety because it is all in the taste and smell.

Lady’s advice

Tip from my grandmother: You should buy your peppercorns in grains, don’t cook it, a few grinding rounds or pinches at the end of cooking are more than enough to enhance the taste of your dish; to enhance the taste of many dishes.