Black Pepper

Pepper from the island that gave the world its spice route

Black pepper, Piper nigrum, is a climbing vine, and Sri Lanka's central hills are one of the places it grows best, trained up shade trees in the cool, damp climate. Pepper was one of the first spices to cross the oceans, and it is still the one we reach for every day.

The berries are picked when they begin to ripen and are dried in the sun. As they dry, the skin darkens and wrinkles, and the aroma concentrates. The result is a hard, dark peppercorn full of volatile oils. Our peppercorns are sealed whole in a tin, because a whole peppercorn keeps its aroma far longer than ground pepper.

Freshly cracked, it is sharp and citrusy first, then warm and lingering. The heat builds slowly and fades cleanly, so it lifts food without burning it. Compared with the dusty pepper in many shakers, the difference is immediate.

Crack it over eggs, steak, soups, salads and pasta, and add it at the end for the sharpest bite. Toast whole peppercorns for a minute in a dry pan to deepen the aroma, then crush them for rubs and curries. Keep the tin sealed and grind only what you need.