But, continuous use of chemical fertilizers could affect the soil ecosystem and eventually restrict nutrient uptake by pepper roots. Application of fertilizers is crucial to sustain pepper growth and high yield. However, persistence of chemical residues in peppercorns could affect the quality of exports and consumptions. Hazardous chemical products appear to be the best solution to control diseases in black pepper cultivation. Although US-based, you can order them in the UK, and there is rumour they will also become more available in the UK.Black pepper production in Malaysia was restricted by various diseases. It does single-farm sourcing and works directly with farms, agreeing prices far above the global standard. Diaspora Co also adds tasting notes to all its spices. Diaspora Co – As mentioned, a black pepper from Kerala.Do use a trusted importer/supplier, such as Natoora though, as the premium reputation of Sarawak pepper may lead to some nefarious behaviour. With other peppers this could be an issue, but because the majority of Sarawak pepper needs to be approved by the Malaysian Pepper Board before leaving the country, it is likely to be authentic, and therefore of the highest quality. Natoora – Sarawak isn’t processed as ‘single farm’ and is often re-packaged by UK or European importers and suppliers with their branding.Sara Spice / Nine Life – This seems incredibly expensive, but Nine Life is importing from a Sarawak-based supplier Sara Spice, who works directly with farmers and with the Malaysian Pepper Board so that quality and supply is assured.Hill & Vale – This UK company specialises in single-farm spices and works directly with farmers to shorten the supply chain.The shorter the supply chain, the more likely the money is going directly to farmers, and the suppliers will know more about the spices they’re selling. The key to buying good spice is to look at the relationship between supplier or importer and farmer. ‘So we are physically experiencing pain when we’re eating something like pepper, or chillies or ginger.’ There are molecules, one of which is called piperine in the pepper, that stimulate our pain receptors,’ says Dr Johnson. ‘Spicy is not a taste, it comes from our sense of touch. The other element of pepper is this idea of ‘spice’ or heat. Pepper generally hits our bitter taste receptors, but the aromas, which we get from both smelling through our nose and the back of our mouths, are much more numerous. When thinking about the specific flavours of pepper, it is mainly scent that influences our understanding. It was discovered in Syrah wine, which often has black pepper notes. ‘ Pepper has one of my favourite flavour molecules in it, that’s a sesquiterpene called Rotundone,’ says Dr Arielle Johnson, a flavour scientist. This is because it requires extremely sensitive technology. The first voyage of the East India Company returned to England in 1603 laden with peppercorns, and this business venture began centuries of colonialism with capitalism and brutality at its heart.Ĭonsidering the length of time this spice has been in our lives, only recently have its flavour molecules been analysed. The race was on for other European countries to follow suit and cut out the middlemen. In 1498, the Portuguese found a sea route that reached to Kerala, where pepper is grown, therefore circumventing the trade routes across land and through Venice.
It can also be argued pepper ignited a shift in the way Europe looked to other lands as places to extract goods for consumers at home. It was a favourite of the Romans, led to the launch of the Guild of Pepperers in London in the 1100s, and is still the most traded spice in the world.
Spices have long been a part of the history of the UK and Europe, even if not grown here, but pepper is a particularly interesting commodity. Unravelling the story of pepper and re-learning its place at our table helps us to understand it, and allows us to use it with purpose. Pepper is entwined in many personal memories and features in a multitude of cultures, so it’s worth taking the time to understand this ingredient as a plant and a flavour. But it’s a spice with a deep history and complex flavours. Pepper is ubiquitous to the UK dinner table, and as a result, is often overlooked.
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