Ashanti pepper (tail pepper)

The Ashanti pepper is sometimes called the African cubeb. Like most other African peppers, it was brought to the African continent and does not grow naturally there. The berry is less bitter than that of the Javanese cubeb, also called the real cubeb. Ashanti is comparable in sharpness to long pepper.

The Portuguese brought the cubeb from Java to the Gray Coast of West Africa, from where they shipped the pepper to Europe together with the native grain of paradise.

For a long time, both spices dominated European cuisine, but both have been displaced by the peppers from India, Java and the West Indies, which were shipped to Europe by the Dutch and British Companies. The Ashanti pepper is named after the ancient kingdom of Ashanti, which, after it was brutally annexed by the British, would henceforth be called the 'Gold Coast'.

The Ashanti pepper grows in the wild in the forests of Likouala, in the northeast of Congo. Our pepper comes from there. It has many names, such as gorilla pepper, Baka or Pygmy pepper - after the Baka people who live here and collect the pepper - uziza or ndongo. The Ashanti pepper is an appetizing looking pepper, variegated in color, from gray green to black and blushing red. The stalk is still attached.

Taste and smell

The smell is pleasant, and the taste is less bitter than that of the Javanese cubeb. It is an important type of pepper in West African cuisine, and is used, like corn of paradise, in the Bombay sapphire gin recipe.

Use

Ashanti pepper is a versatile pepper that can be used in ragouts, broths, meat, vegetable dishes and sauces, but also in sweet preparations. like in old fashioned gingerbread cookies. Ashanti pepper is an ingredient of a classic ras-el-hanout, and is (sometimes) used in berbere, instead of Cape long pepper.

Compared to the Indonesian cubeb, this African cubeb is milder and therefore more suitable for sweet preparations, such as biscuits.

Cubeb, like black pepper, is used whole, bruised or ground, always including the tails.

Attributes:

• 100% pepper berries from the Piper guineense
• origin: Likouala, Congo (Rep)

Assortment

• available in glass, pouch and test tube
  
• glass jar contains 60 grams
• standup pouches with a content of 30 to 500 grams
• available in 10ml test tube
  
• larger quantities on request

Gift Wrap

• the jar is available in a tasteful gift box, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper
• for an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the section gift packaging

General advice

• Grind your Ashanti pepper shortly before use
  
• add the ground pepper to your preparation at the very last minute

Save:

• keep your ashanti pepper in closed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before July 2025 (07/25)
• this best before date is an indication