pepper, the king of spices"

Pepper (piper nigrum) originally comes from the south east of India, from Kerala on the Malabar coast. It is a liana belonging to the botanical family names "piperacée". We find it today in many other countries around the tropical belt.


	When peppercorns bunches are harvested under-ripe, we are picking green peppercorns. These corns are subtly spiced, delicately "piquant" and of a great freshness. This pepper cannot be found at our markets other than in deshydrated form or steeped in brine. Later on the corns turn yellow. They are generally picked at this stage of ripening and are then put to dry in sun slowly. As they dry the peel crumples and turns to a nice brownish tint. The yellow corns have then become black pepper. If the fruits are left to mature on the liana, they turn red. Picked at this grade of ripening, they are left to soak in rainwater. Relieved of its peel and slowly dried in sun, the hearts of the corn have become white pepper. Red pepper (mature corns) should not be mixed up with "pink pepper" improperly called so because it does not belong to the family of "piperacées". Another misused term: "grey pepper". It simply does not exist either! It is only a mixture of black pepper and white pepper, generally of very low quality and is of no interest.


	I travel throughout the world, searching for the finest quality peppers for my clients. My criteria for selectione are extremely strict, and I only purchase the very best. These spices are then directly air freighted to France, with no intermediates and temporary storage. I only sell very fresh products of a very specific origine.


	Just like we use different types of olive oils and vinegars today, the same applies to pepper. Even if using a variety of peppers in your cooking will not fundamentally change the way you prepare your food, it is a simple way to add a variety of exotic flavours to your dishes.


	Pepper aroma is very subtle and disappears rapidly once ground. You should never buy already ground pepper. Avoid cooking it strongly, because it acquires a bitter taste. Better to use your peppermill just before serving your dish, the gesture is elegant, whilst the aroma remains fresh.

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