Blog

“I would like a coffee, with milk and black pepper, thank you.” Almost every waiter in a café would just stare incredulously at the customer after such an order and wonder if the person was joking. Believe it or not, however, black coffee surprisingly goes well with pepper, similar to many other ingredients. So if you are among those who like things a little differently, you will definitely enjoy today's article. Who would have thought that pepper would go perfectly with ice cream It’s not that black beans are crushed with milk and then frozen, but if you crush fresh and quality pepper — for example, the red Kampot pepper — and lightly sprinkle it especially on ice creams with added fruit components, you will most likely be pleasantly surprised. For instance, red pepper can pleasantly support and enhance the fruity taste in ice cream. Don’t be afraid of peppery breakfasts — even sweet ones There is a particularly friendly relationship mainly with red fruit, especially forest berries, strawberries, and other berries that ripen in the summer months. Pepper gives the sunshine hidden in them a slightly fiery touch, which personally delights us immensely. If you are not among those who skip breakfast and like to eat healthily, you have probably already had the honor of eating oatmeal. However, oatmeal can get boring over time. At that moment, a pinch of pepper comes into play, which gives the oats an interesting flavor and also supports your effort to maintain a healthy diet and lose a few kilograms. A healthy treat in moderate amounts can also be our natural nut butter with red pepper. But who would have thought that a little pepper would wonderfully enhance the nutty flavor, making the butter an even better treat that you can add to oatmeal or smoothies. Black pepper belongs in coffee and yogurt Yogurt prepared in a savory way is definitely a healthy option. For example, Greek yogurt with a bit of garlic and flavorful unique black pepper can be an unusual alternative to sweet yogurts. It also pairs excellently as a sauce for vegetables. And last but not least, let’s return to that unusual customer request in the café. Pepper really goes surprisingly well with coffee. And if you add a few crushed wrinkled peppercorns to your beloved espresso, you will definitely leave the café refreshed and full of energy — like a little devil out of the box.

In our second episode of the journey for peppers, which basically are not peppers at all, we again look into different corners of our planet from which plants known for their characteristic taste and aroma named after peppercorn originate. Their naming often happened based on confused translations, thanks to which today paprika (pepper) in the English language has the same designation as pepper (pepper), or due to similarities with classic pepper. Chili named as pepper This is also the case with the so-called cayenne pepper, named after the port city of Cayenne in French Guiana. This "pepper" is actually a spicy, finely ground paprika that plays an important role, for example, in Mexican cuisine. It gives it that hellish spiciness. In our first encounter with non-pepper pepper, we ended up in Africa. On this continent, you can also find a spice called allspice. These are the fruits of an interesting plant found in the swampy areas of the West African coast. Again, these are fruits with a spicy taste, thanks to which the grains hidden in a large pod are sometimes mistaken for classic pepper. Peppery taste, but it is not pepper And we will still stay in Africa thanks to Ethiopian pepper. It is also known as bitter wood and is a tree growing in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa. It also produces seeds with a distinct pungent taste. The seeds in this case are used not only as a seasoning for dishes but are also popular for their medicinal effects. Even when you add a bit of that mountain pepper to your food, it is not pepper at all. These are the fruits of a shrub from the region of Australia and nearby Tasmania. The taste of this spice is initially surprisingly sweet but very quickly changes to peppery. We will end our story with the intoxicating drink kawa or awa, which is obtained from the roots of a plant known as the intoxicating pepper vine. It is a drink characterized by its relaxing and stimulating effects, similar to coffee. So next time you buy pepper that is not labeled as black, green, white, or red, it definitely is not true pepper. There is only one true pepper, and the best one is grown in the Cambodian region of Kampot. If you want to learn its original story, you can do so with us! Did you miss the first part of our pepper revelation? You can read it here.

There is only one true and original pepper. It comes from the fruits of the plant known as black pepper vine, from which black, green, white, and red pepper are obtained. However, the market offers a much wider range of various types of spices labeled as pepper, but they have nothing in common with classic pepper at all. Tastes like pepper, but it is not pepper A well-known example can be Sichuan pepper, also known as fagara. Under this name, you should imagine dried fruits of a Chinese ash species, which have a distinctive aromatic taste. It can be even numbing, so Sichuan pepper is used in small amounts, most often to season poultry. A close relative is sancho pepper, also known as Japanese pepper, which is one of the few dry spices used in Japanese cuisine. A widely known pepper that is actually not pepper is Brazilian pepper, also called pink pepper (mistakenly referred to as red). These are the dried pink berries of a tree from the Anacardiaceae family, growing in long clusters. The pink berry skin is sweet but astringent. The berries are often mixed into various pepper blends, creating an original colorful mosaic. The taste of false pepper can be unpleasantly astringent Pippali, also known as long pepper, are dried fruits of a plant from the peppervine genus, but not black pepper. It is a specific type of spice that smells similar to classic pepper but completely lacks the characteristic pungency and is rather sweet and astringent. It is not very well known here but is widely used as a spice in India. Equally unknown to us may be cubeb pepper. This name refers to the fruits of vines growing in Java, Borneo, or Sumatra. Their peculiarity is that they are almost not cultivated and are therefore collected from wild plants. The fruits, which taste like new spices, are slightly larger than classic pepper. The basic substance of this spice is called cubebin, which is also found in African pepper. This is also known under names such as ashanti or West African tailed pepper. In the regions where it grows, that is in the western, central, and eastern parts of the continent, it is used as a substitute for classic pepper, differing from it by a herbal flavor that is also nowhere near as pungent. Want to continue reading? We have prepared another part for you of the pepper revelations!

Kampot pepper is primarily known for its excellent ability to bring the flavor of prepared dishes to absolute perfection. However, quality pepper can do much more. Thanks to its healing effects, it was a sought-after aid even among ancient doctors, who used it to strengthen the immunity of their patients and treat a wide range of ailments. What are its main health benefits that you can take advantage of? Pepper can be described as a natural body warmer This is mainly due to the substances that cause its pungent taste, especially piperine. It acts as a natural disinfectant for the body, capable of driving out unwanted viruses and bacteria. Therefore, increased doses of pepper are suitable to use when you feel symptoms of a cold and are troubled by a runny nose. Pepper can improve blood circulation in the mucous membranes, which helps to relieve nasal congestion and improve coughing up mucus. Piperine can also support the function of sweat glands, thereby helping the body in its natural fight against illness. Quality pepper is a great aid for proper digestion The essential oils contained in peppercorns affect the taste buds, which causes increased production of digestive juices in the stomach. This helps the stomach handle the ingested food much more easily, and you won’t feel a heavy stomach. In our digestive system, it also has mild disinfectant effects and can help, for example, with bloating. Increased amounts of high-quality pepper are also suitable for people with eating disorders, who may experience a greater appetite thanks to it. Last but not least, pepper can also help people with hypotension, that is, low blood pressure. Pepper warms cold extremities and can be at least a partial supplement to the treatment of these health problems. However, we must not forget that pepper is not a cure-all, and any health issues should always be first consulted with a doctor. Therefore, approach pepper more as a form of prevention, but mainly as a spice that will open up entirely new horizons for you. Don’t believe it? In that case, try the  Kampot from .pepper..field.

Have you spent too much time at home this year thanks to all the restrictions? And did you realize what a wonderful woman you have at home? Have you noticed how kind your mother is, who helped you with the children when the schools closed this year? How great your girlfriend is simply because she is? What kind of gift should you choose for a woman who had more worries at home than ever before?  Women deserve to be pampered – a mother-in-law with a quality perfume, a wife with beautiful lingerie, and a sister with a good book to relax with. Women also love luxurious and high-quality things. And once they receive a gift, they want it to be obvious that you care about them. We can fulfill all that at .pepper..field and we promise you that any woman will succumb to the intoxicating scent of Kampot pepper! What gifts do women appreciate the most? 1. Nicely wrapped  Did you know that most women think you can tell how much you care about them by the gift? And they are right! All our gift sets with Kampot pepper are always hand-wrapped in luxurious silk paper with a bow and precise details that even your woman wouldn't wrap better (but don’t tell her). We will wrap your gift so perfectly, with proper care and love, that your woman will suspect you did something. 2. Something no other woman gets Let her engrave for free her name on our wooden gift box – you tell her this gift set is only for her and no one else. She will realize how carefully and thoughtfully you had to choose the gift and that you didn’t buy it last minute in a supermarket, where it would be hard to engrave her name or a personal dedication on the wood. Do you have your own phrase or motto between you? We will burn anything into any gift set, as long as it comes from the heart! 3. Gifts that help Women are natural caregivers. If they receive a gift that, thanks to your generosity, also helped in a beautiful country like Cambodia and was hand-packaged in the Czech Republic by small companies, they will truly appreciate it. These fair-trade gifts express that we have a kind and loving person beside us who cares about us but also about other people around. 4. Something that makes us smile every day We saved the fact that Kampot pepper is an aphrodisiac for last. But if this miracle doesn’t work by chance, from our own experience, we know that cooking every day with Kampot pepper is something that puts a smile on our face – you can pair different peppers with dishes, guess which one you used, or try new combinations in the evening – for example, the favorite gin and tonic with red Kampot pepper!

A gift for the boss, for colleagues, a Christmas gift for employees, but also for business partners or the most skilled reinforcements in the company. A corporate gift is a giant that many companies think about every year. This year, the novelty is that we send many gifts by mail thanks to closed branches and help directly with distribution to specific people. In which industries will you score with a gift set with Kampot pepper? A gift for healthcare workers We are increasingly occupying space in corporate gifts for healthcare workers – from dental technicians to healthcare facilities. This year, we also sent several packages with Kampot pepper as a gift to nurses in hospitals – just for fun, to brighten their day for their hard work. Give an original gift with a glass test tube that will cheer up the nurse and the doctor by finally having something nice in the tube! A gift for construction workers  Construction companies love us – why? We don’t really know, but we think that these companies have proper strong men who simply and well appreciate a gift for a real man. Such Kampot pepper is actually a basic building material for every good meal! A gift for IT Many companies that regularly order our gifts are IT companies – we have corporate gifts for IT down pat! Many of them worked from home this year, and quality cooking is appreciated more than ever. A gift for designers  Our Christmas gifts are sought after, for example, by Czech companies focusing on the production and sale of designer lamps and other equipment for companies or households and appreciate when the gift is not only made of quality materials but also beautifully designed, carefully wrapped, and precisely prepared. A gift for carriers Our work is also appreciated by transport sectors that value the connection between Cambodia and the Czech Republic and appreciate this international reach. A gift for personnel agencies  Here we are among the most popular gifts – thanks to the fact that personnel agencies highly value the connection of a quality product and a story that helps. They also like specific people for specific projects! A gift for mechanical engineers  It’s hard to say why we are popular specifically with various companies whose beautiful craft lies in the production of different parts for machines, but we are certainly glad about it. Again, we assume that we get into the hands of mainly male teams! And what about you, have you already thought of this year’s Christmas gift for colleagues you haven’t seen for a long time?

The most important spice in the world. This is how the small peppercorns can be simply described, which together with salt form the foundation of world gastronomy. Their taste is sharp, woody, and sometimes surprisingly bold, which enhances the flavor of the dishes to which they are added. The colors of pepper come from a single plant depending on the ripening time, and their proper combination with dishes is somewhat of an alchemical mystery that we will now try to unravel. Piper Nigrum, or black pepper vine, is the name of the plant whose fruits are commonly called peppercorns. This plant has a variety of subspecies that produce fruits with different flavor profiles. Moreover, different cultivation and processing methods affect its quality. It is divided into  black, white, and red pepper. Black Pepper The most widespread form of pepper spice is obtained by harvesting still unripe green or slightly yellowing peppercorns, which are then sun-dried. This gives them a characteristic ashy brown shade and a wrinkled texture. Kampot pepper is distinguished by its large and dark black grains—the darker, the better quality! If your pepper looks dull, it is a sign that it is old and flavorless. This pepper is pungent and very aromatic. Red Pepper The red color of red pepper is not a sign of spiciness but of delicacy. These are pepper fruits harvested at full ripeness. Its taste is characterized by softness and fruity tones, making it suitable not only for savory dishes but also for desserts. It pairs wonderfully, for example, with chocolate. Occasionally, you might find it in some drinks, to which it is also popularly added; unfortunately, it is often confused with the pink peppercorn from Brazil in South America. White Pepper The last representative of traditional peppers is white pepper, with a perfectly smooth structure lacking that wrinkled texture. This is due to the way it is obtained: after ripening, the red outer skin is soaked and then removed. Thanks to this, white pepper boasts a flavor that lacks the aggressive pungency but instead features floral tones with a slight hint of fermentation. White pepper is an ideal choice for milder light meats and, together with red pepper, perfectly complements fish and seafood. However, we use it for anything because it perfectly enhances the flavor of a dish without overpowering it. What exactly is green freeze-dried pepper? Green freeze-dried Kampot pepper with salt was developed by us as the first in the world on our Czech machines – simply put, we took fresh green pepper directly on the stem and without further drying, vacuum-packed it into a salt brine. This way, it was safely transported to us in the Czech Republic, where we freeze-dried it in Czech freeze-dryers – the taste remains the same as fresh pepper but is less intense and can be eaten just like that – by the little balls!

Not all that glitters is gold, so goes the popular proverb, which also applies to peppercorns. At first glance, this shriveled spice may not seem to hide many secrets. However, few know that in earlier times it was a matter of prestige and even the pharaohs themselves enjoyed it. Although today pepper is considered one of the most widespread and commonly used spices in the world, commonly dominating European, Asian, and American cuisines, many of its secrets remain hidden even from chefs. Pepper, for which one might even kill Today, the term "black gold" probably brings oil to mind. However, before the start of its mass extraction, this term referred precisely to pepper, as it contained similarly great wealth. The history of the relationship between humans and black pepper in Asia spans thousands of years. It might seem that pepper arrived on European tables much later, thanks to maritime discoveries made during the 15th century, but traces of pepper found in the nostrils of Pharaoh Ramesses II and notes about pepper in Roman historians' writings suggest that pepper was known on the old continent much earlier. Famous sailors and fearless Italian spice traders merely rediscovered pepper and built their powerful empire centered in Venice on the profits gained from trading it. Newly found trade routes gradually helped reduce the price of this commodity. Until then, crushed peppercorns on dishes represented a luxury that emphasized the host's prestige. However, from the 16th and 17th centuries, pepper ceased to be exceptional and slowly began to appear outside royal palaces and grand castles. Not all pepper is the same – but in ancient times they didn’t really distinguish much Interestingly, pepper also played a role in the discovery of America. Not only did Christopher Columbus believe that, thanks to one of the most important expeditions in human history, he had discovered a new route to India, but when he found a strange red fruit, he simply named it after pepper because of its spicy properties. And as we know, the same term for pepper and hot peppers is still used in some languages today. After all, cayenne pepper has little in common with black pepper since it is actually a crushed variety of chili pepper. From the southern part of India, where the tradition of cultivating pepper originated, it gradually spread to other tropical regions of the world, such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even crossed the ocean to distant Brazil. Today, pepper accounts for about 20% of the total spice trade, with Vietnam becoming the leading producer. It produces up to one-third of the world's cultivated pepper, exporting most of this production to other countries. The reason is simple: Vietnamese cuisine uses pepper only minimally. Which nation consumes the most pepper annually? A significant portion of Vietnamese production goes to the United States, which, on the other hand, is among the world's largest consumers of pepper. Each year, pepper worth over 650 million dollars, nearly 15 billion crowns, is exported to this country. However, the biggest lovers of the sharp peppery taste are considered to be the inhabitants of Tunisia. They actually have the highest per capita consumption of pepper, specifically over 100 grams per year. The greatest secret of pepper, however, remains its taste, which must be literally experienced on your own taste buds. For example, the one from Kampot defies all the experiences you have had so far with regular pepper and its flavors. Don't believe it? Taste it.

Pepper – the simplest seasoning in the kitchen, but along with salt, the most important. We have found a few spicy facts for you that you might not have known. 1. In the Middle Ages, pepper was extremely rare and even served as currency. 2. Did you know that all the colors of true pepper actually come from one single berry, which is simply harvested at different stages of ripeness? The only true pepper comes from the pepper plant. From it, pepper berries of black, red, and white pepper are gradually harvested and dried at different times. 3. The pepper plant looks like our hop. It is a climbing plant that can reach up to 15 meters in height, can live up to 60 years, and bears fruit after three years. 4. Beware of fake peppers! Pink pepper, commonly available in spice mixes, is indeed nicely colored but grows on the branches of the Brazilian pepper tree, so it is just a poor relative of true pepper. The same goes for cayenne pepper, whose name arose from a mistranslation; it is actually ground chili peppers. 5. Did you know that each color of pepper can noticeably change the taste of your dish and that quality pepper should not be used in more than one color per dish? Each has its specific properties and flavor. 6. Do you guess what happens when you pour pepper into water? When you put the berries into a glass of water, they should sink to the bottom after a few minutes because they are full, heavy, and thus of good quality. Otherwise, the berries are hollow and of poor quality. 7. Did you know that quality pepper is a natural aphrodisiac? Thanks to its blood-circulating effects, it was added along with cinnamon and ginger to support male potency and ignite the right passion. 8. Our ancestors enjoyed pepper already 2,000 years before our era. Its popularity quickly grew, and by the 10th century, pepper was basically the most popular spice. For a long time, it was considered one of the most luxurious goods. Today, almost everyone can afford pepper, but there are many rare types, including Kampot pepper, which are sought-after rarities at a higher price. 9. The largest global producers of pepper are Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. However, here the rule applies that quantity does not mean quality. Peppers contain pesticides, their journey through commodity exchanges is very long, they spend many months on ships, so they often reach our supermarkets already stale and old. This mainly affects the final taste. 10. Quality pepper also brings many health benefits. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, E, and K. It also contains calcium, iron, fiber, and manganese. Moreover, it contains components that act anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

"We would like to taste the fresh green pepper just as you eat it in Cambodia, " we often heard from customers. So we got excited about this idea until a complete world unique – freeze-dried fresh green Kampot pepper. In short, our farmers picked fresh green berries, which we vacuum-packed together with salt and sent to us in the Czech Republic. Here we subsequently rented a freeze dryer from the Czech company LYOTRADE, and the spicy treasure was born! However, the freeze-drying process takes a very long time, so its supply is very limited. Why is freeze-dried pepper so good? The special freeze-drying process serves to preserve the maximum quality, freshness, and flavor accents of genuine fresh Kampot pepper – from Cambodia all the way to your plate! This pepper, like our other peppers, is a 100% organic fair trade product, lovingly harvested, which we personally developed as the first in the world. Thanks to freeze-drying, the incredible intensity of fresh Kampot pepper is softened, and when consumed, you feel a delicate peppery taste that reminds you of freshly picked berries on the Cambodian coast, but with a much milder intensity. You often ask us how to use it in the kitchen Its playfulness in combinations with various dishes is almost endless! When combined with liquid or oil, the ball reabsorbs moisture and tastes like fresh – it goes perfectly with steaks and any meats, for preparing sauces, in pasta, on meats, or crushed for grilling. It also pleases vegetarians in salads with herbs, in risottos (e.g., asparagus), or you can eat it just like that! It does not belong in a grinder; it is used whole in the kitchen or crushed with a mortar. How long does freeze-dried pepper last? This fresh pepper is sealed in a doypack bag and will last you at least three months without refrigeration. If you plan to keep it longer, we recommend storing it in the fridge. Salt acts as a natural preservative, so you don't have to worry about its quality weakening. The main thing is to understand how freeze-dried Kampot pepper works in the kitchen and that it is fresh pepper, not a dried variant. In practice, this means learning to use its whole balls, or at most their coarsely crushed form, which is ideally incorporated during cooking to absorb liquids inside. Tip for simple tapas: surprise visit at home? If you have quality bread and olive oil, we recommend putting crushed freeze-dried pepper into a small dish with olive oil and dipping the bread in it. In our .pepper..family, this simple tapas inspired by Italy is a great success!

Our 7-day mission in Cambodia has been successfully completed. On the day of our departure, an article about us appeared in the Khmer Times – the most popular English-language newspaper in Cambodia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also wrote about our work. On Valentine's Day, we ceremoniously handed over Czech machines from Zlín to representatives of the Kampot Pepper Association and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Phnom Penh to farmers as part of our development project with the Czech Development Agency.Article about Czech aid in Khmer Times Article about Czech-Cambodian cooperation with the Czech Development Agency