Assam long pepper

The Piper mullesua is a fairly rare Asian pepperspepper. Although it occurs in many countries in the Himalayas, in the west only the one from Assam is available, a region characterized by mountains and plateaus. 

The Assampepper pepper occurs exclusively in the wild, on often steep and rocky slopes. In English, it is therefore called hill pepper. It is not cultivated. The Piper mullesua is named a long pepperbecause like any other long pepper it pepper has a fruit that is built up of many fused ovaries, like a blackberry. The difference from the classic spike-shaped long pepper is apart from the shape of the fruit, the size of those fruitlets. 

This pepper pepper grows on a climbing plant approximately four meters tall, with slightly hairy twigs and lance-shaped leaves. The inflorescence is hermaphroditic. The flowering period in the Himalayas is from May to July, but on the west coast of India it flowers considerably earlier, from January to April. The fruit is barely a centimeter in size and sits on a stalk.

The pungent compound in real peppers is piperine, the hallmark of real pepper in the Piperaceae family. This piperine is virtually absent from this chilli. Instead, this chilli produces a slightly numbing, tingling sensation on the tongue, as you would expect from a Szechuan pepper. This is highly unusual for a real pepper.

Not only the sharpness, but also the aromas develop during aging. The main flavor components of this ripe 'slope pepper' are:

• E-β-farnesene (22.8%), sweet, woody with citrus notes,
• myristicin (19.2%), warm spicy, like balsamic vinegar, in cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper,
• germacrene D (11.8%), spicy and woody,
• β-caryophyllene (4.9%), sweet, spicy and woody,
• α-copaene (2.6%), woody, spicy, honey,
• Z-β-farnesene (2.6%), 'green' with citrus notes, and
• d-limonene (1.4%), responsible for the citrus flavourings.

This subtle pepper pepper fits perfectly with the character of Assamese cuisine, in which spices are used only sparingly. The dishes with river fish, often from their own ponds, are famous, such as pickled herring, masor tenga. Tip: Instead of frying the fish, boil it in a mixture of ginger and assam.pepper.

This distinctive long pepper is also ideal for use in dishes that call for other long chillies, such as osso buco, with goat’s cheese and in winter soups. Thanks to its fruity notes, the pepper pairs well with exotic fruits, coconut, as well as strawberries and melon.

Recipes):

Features:

• 100% pepperberries of the Piper mullesua
• grows in the wild, hand-picked
• origin: Assam, Northeast India

Assortment

• available in glass (45 or 60 grams of your choice), stand-up pouch (various weight classes) and sample sachet (approx. 8 grams)
• larger quantities than shown on request

Save

• batch number OB550370
• best before February 2029 (02-2029)

General advice

• crush the fruit, and grind the pepperpellets shortly before use
  
• the taste is very subtle, add the ground pepper therefore add it to your preparation at the very last moment, or give it time to be well absorbed into your dish, a sauce or curry for example.