Kampot Pepper from Cambodia Photo Essay + GIVEAWAY!
In the 1920′s every French (restaurant) kitchen worth it’s salt and pepper used Kampot pepper from Cambodia, a former French colony. When Pol Pot became dictator of Kampuchea he declared Grow Rice, Not Spice, a rhyming but odd domestic policy as Cambodia suddenly had no exports. It used to export this to Europe by the tonne.
Like Champagne, this pepper has geographical appellation status because of it’s unique taste… and scent.
Black Kampot Peppercorns
Smell
The Top notes have hints of mint and eucalyptus followed by a floral heart and a base note that can only be described as pepper ++. The smell is enchanting, it is appetite enchanting, this Bordeaux of peppercorns is absolutely aromatic and a taste sensation.
Red Kampot Peppercorns
Taste
Add to strawberries macerated in balsamic vinegar to wow your next dinner guests. Rough pound with pestle for savory dishes or freshly grind to sprinkle just prior to serving. Oh, and throw away the MSG that you have hiding back left of your pantry.
Kampot Pepper is the first Cambodian product to benefit from the status of Protected Geographical Indication. The taste and smell is linked to the terroir, rainfall, the local water and traditional Khmer farming techniques.
It’s got a floral dimension that’s really something special.
Anthony Bourdain
Food and Travel Show Host
A certain sweetness to it rather than straightforward heat.
Michael Laiskonis
Le Bernardin
New York City
Perfect with Kep crab
It just so happens that I was in Kampot recently, eating crab cooked on the beach in nearby Krep, and pepper shopping.
We have 8 Kampot peppercorns to give away!
Let’s make that 8 bags of peppercorns to give away on Australian Perfume Junkies.
For you?
I use 2 parts red to 1 part black and words fail when trying to describe the X factor of the red peppercorns. There are also green and white Kampot peppercorns but these were not harvested when I motorcycled into town.
Gifts – one bag of black and one bag of red Kampot peppercorns from Cambodia
HOW DO YOU WIN
Leave a comment below telling us your favourite use of pepper in food, fashion or fragrance or Like The Fragrant Man on Facebook to be in the random draw.
WHAT YOU CAN WIN
Lets make that 8 gifts consisting of one bag of red peppercorns and one bag of black peppercorns so that you can taste the difference.
Included is P&P to anywhere in the world
HOUSEKEEPING
Entries Close Friday April 19th 2013 10pm AEDST and winners will be announced in a separate post then.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and TSO Jin will pick them. He doesn’t even stop watching TV to do it usually.
The winners will have till Wednesaday 24th April 2013 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or Portia will give the prize to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.
Will you buy banana? Looking after in-law’s banana stall while they negotiated local prices for the pepper. Kampot Market, Cambodia.
Photo: Houv Tang
Further Reading: Time Magazine
Love,
Jordan
