Assam long pepper

The Piper mullesua is a fairly rare Asian peppersoort. 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.

After relatively small 'ears' last year, this season is beautifully full again, as pictured.

The Assam pepper occurs exclusively in the wild, often on steep and rocky slopes. In English, it is therefore called hill pepper. It is not cultivated. Piper mullesua is called a long pepper because, like long pepper, it has a fruit composed of many fused fruitlets, like a blackberry. The difference from the classic spike-shaped long pepper, apart from the shape of the fruit, is the size of those fruitlets. In the long pepper, these are peppers as large as poppy seeds, comparable to grains of paradise in the case of the Asampas pepper.

This pepper grows on a climbing plant about four meters tall, with slightly hairy branches 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 sharp dust in real peppers is piperine, the trademark of the real one peppers in the plant genus Piperaceae. This piperine is virtually absent in this pepper. Instead, this pepper has a slightly numbing, tingling sensation on the tongue, as you would expect from a Szechuan pepper. Very exceptional for a true pepper.

Not only the pungency, but also the aromas develop during ripening. 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 fits perfectly with the character of Assamese cuisine, in which spices are used only sparingly. Famous are the dishes with river fish, often from local ponds, such as pickled herring, masor tenga. Tip: Instead of frying the fish, boil it in a mixture of ginger and assam pepper.

This special long pepper is also excellent for use in dishes that call for other long peppers. peppers can be used, such as in oso buco, with goat cheese, and in winter soups. Thanks to its fruity accents, the pepper pairs well with exotic fruit, coconut, but also strawberries and melon.

Recipes):

Features:

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

Assortment

• available in glass (45 or 60 grams of your choice) and stand-up pouch (various weight classes)
• glarger quantities than shown on request

Save

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

General advice

• Crush the fruit, and grind the peppercorns shortly before use.
  
• The flavor is very subtle, so add the ground pepper 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.