FERMENTED BLACK KAMPOT PEPPER

Kampot pepper grows in the south of Cambodia, in the region that gives it its name and is known worldwide for its pepper. For this one, the still green, unripe peppercorns are harvested by hand and, instead of being dried in the sun as is usually done, they are placed fresh in sea salt. There they slowly mature – the salt soaks in, the peppercorns stay soft and keep their bright, lively aroma, which is otherwise lost during drying. In the end, the tin holds exactly what was picked in the field: pepper and salt, nothing else.

Fresh, green and surprisingly fruity, with a clear salty note and a heat that only arrives after a few seconds and then lingers pleasantly. Compared to dried black pepper, it tastes less dusty and much juicier – more like fresh herbs and citrus peel than the spice rack. The peppercorns are soft enough to eat whole; when you bite into them, they release their aroma all at once.

It shows off best when added only at the very end. Scatter a few whole peppercorns over a steak, a beef tenderloin or pan-fried fish, press them in lightly and you're done. It works just as well in a pepper sauce, in butter for potatoes, over scrambled eggs, in pasta with oil and Parmesan, or with cream cheese or goat cheese on bread. It is also excellent in marinades and in a quick stir-fry of beef and garlic.

Since the peppercorns are already salted, only add more salt to the dish afterward. If you like it milder, rinse them briefly with water. After opening, store cool and tightly closed.

Green, black, red and white pepper all come from the same plant – the only difference lies in the time of harvest and the processing. Black pepper is made when green peppercorns are dried and darken in the process. That is exactly the step that is skipped here: instead of being dried, the fresh peppercorns go straight into salt. The salt draws out water and preserves them without them losing their freshness – a method that is traditionally at home in Cambodian kitchens.

The heat in pepper, by the way, comes from piperine, which is present at every stage of ripeness. In the green, fermented peppercorn it comes across as milder and rounder, because the salt and the fruity aromas balance it out.