Maqaw (magao) - pheasantspepper

The dried berry of the Litsea cubeba is called a pepperIt is called a berry, but it isn't one, as it contains no sharp substance. Nevertheless, it is considered a peppertje, and has traditionally used it as such, which is why it has been included by Slow Food in the Ark of Taste.

New harvest! Deliciously lemony.

This Litsea cubeba is also known as the lemonpeppercalled tje, not to be confused with the herb mix sold as a ready-made mix for fish dishes.

Litsea cubeba is a 5-8 meter tall tree or shrub with light yellow flowers. In summer, the 5 mm fruits develop, which are picked or collected when ripe and dried. The red fruits then turn just like pepper rust brown to black.

The name maqaw – 馬告 – originates from Taiwan, where the berries have been used as a spice for thousands of years by the Atayal and the Saisyat, two indigenous peoples there. It means "full of vitality"; the berry is known as the 'black pearl'.

Maqaw grows at altitudes of 100 to 1,500 meters in Taiwan, the Himalayas in northern India, Thailand, Nepal, and Vietnam, southern China, and Borneo (Sarawak and Kalimantan), where the spice is a specialty, just as in Taiwan.

Our maqaw does not come from Taiwan, but from the province of Quảng Ngãi in Vietnam, where it is called sả rừng (lemongrass), and where it is picked in July by the Hre and K'dong ethnic minorities in the mountainous districts of the province. The common Vietnamese name, by the way, is màng tang.

Scent and make

The berries are rich in essential oils, which provide a warm, pleasant scent and taste experience.

They look like pepperberries, but have a flavor that hints pepper, contains lemongrass, thyme, ginger, and citrus fruits. The combination of citral and citronellal provides the citrus notes, the alpha- and beta-pinene a cedar flavor, and eucalyptus a woody, light camphor flavor.

Although the flavor profile shows a strong resemblance to that of siltimur, the taste is distinctly different; in siltimur, the aroma of cedar dominates, while in maqaw, that of grapefruit.
In many publications, the taste is characterized as pleasant. pepperwith lemongrass notes, the first part is undoubtedly true, but as far as lemongrass is concerned, the maqaw certainly falls short compared to the African mbongo

These are the main essential oils in the fruit:

• citral, as in lemon and grapefruit
• citronellal, lime leaf (kaffir lime), as in lemongrass and juniper.
  
• β-pinene, woody pine scent (cedar), as in cumin, pine (pinecone), juniper and hemp,
  
• eucalyptol (cineol-1.8), spicy, minty flavor, as in sage and rosemary
• geraniol, rose scent
• safrole, sweet and spicy with anise notes
  

Combines excellently with cardamom, bay leaf, mint, licorice, thyme, cinnamon, and lemon.

Usage

Use maqaw as a seasoning with red and white meat (pork, for example), duck, fish, or shellfish. It can also be used in desserts, cookies, and in or in combination with chocolate. Just a few berries are enough for a delicious decaffeinated tea. If you want to make Taiwanese-style tea with it, use 2 grams per 2.5 dl.

In Quảng Ngãi, they steam snails with maqaw instead of lemongrass, which is more common in Vietnam. Another specialty is a water buffalo stir-fry with garlic, maqaw, and a tiny bit of sugar.The thinly sliced ​​water buffalo meat is rubbed with a rub of these spices, then stir-fried with some finely chopped onion and seasoned with blackcurrant syrup. pepper and some salt.

Maqaw as (pheasants)pepper With fish? Much praised, but you will find that maqaw cannot compete with fish against a simple combination of thyme and lemon zest, or a combination of galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime. But try it in mayonnaise and serve that with fish! The secret? The oil in the mayonnaise brings out the flavors of the maqaw—just like rice wine does.
Make this maqaw mayonnaise yourself, using 2-3 grams of maqaw per dl of oil, and finally add some sweet basil leaves to serve with fish.

Maqaw pineapple cakes are cube- or diamond-shaped cakes with a filling of fresh pineapple. The diamond shape is a traditional motif of the Atayal tribe, which they regard as the eyes of the ancestors watching over us. The maqaw is incorporated into the filling, and a single berry is pressed into the cake as a 'teardrop'.

Later this week, a new recipe on the site for cashews with maqaw!

Features:

• 100% berries from the Litsea cubeba,
• hand-picked in the wild
• origin: Quảng Ngãi, Vietnam

Assortment

• available in glass (45 grams), stand-up pouch and test tube (10 ml)
• Larger quantities on request

Gift packaging

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

General advice

• Maqaw is used whole, bruised, or ground.
• The taste can be dominant (citrus-slightly bitter), adjust the dosage accordingly.

Save:

• keep your pheasantspepper in sealed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before January 2028 (01-2028)
• This expiration date is an indication.

Would you like to know what maqaw tastes like?