SC - Long pepper

[ysabeau]

>Long pepper is piper longum, as opposed to piper negrum, or black
>pepper. It is a close realtive of black pepper, but the little berries
>grow in a cluster similar to a tiny oblong bunch of grapes or an ear of
>grain. Flavor is apparently similar but not identical to black pepper.

>I have not used it myself, and have not run across any in 15 years or so
>of looking, on and off. Some claim it is extinct, while others claim to
>know where it can be obtained by mail order. All I know is that I've
>never seen any long pepper, and don't think I've net anyone else who has
>seen it themselves. Plenty of "friend of a friend" stuff, though, so I
>suppose it could be a sort of urban legend.

>My apologies to anyone who may have seen or used the stuff: I am not
>accusing anyone of deceit, just saying I've never seen it.

>Adamantius

I think I may have seen this long pepper in our comissary here 
(Baumholder, Germany). It looks like little green black pepper pods  in a 
grape type cluster. Are the pepper pods small round balls or are they 
supposed to be elongated? It is located with the other "hot" peppers  and I 
have been wondering what it was. My guess was fresh capers but I 
didn't know if there was such a thing. I will check with the grocer 
next time I go and report back.
Everything has been thought of before,
 but the problem is to think of it again.
                    Goethe

Ysabeau of Prague
Lisa Sawyer
Ysabeau at interquest.de
Baumholder,Germany