[Sca-cooks] Pepper

[Spices at Spicewells]

Grains of Paradise (affromomum melegueta) is actually an African pod seed, similar to cardamom.  Grains actually have a cardamomesque note at the end of the pungency.  

Botanical info:  http://www.tropilab.com/nengrekondrepepre.html
Long pepper is Piper Longum, more pungent than black pepper, piper negrum, and has floral notes.
Cubebs, Piper Cubeba, aka tailed pepper or comet pepper, is similar to black pepper with a citrusy aftertaste.
Caitriona
www.spicewells.us



________________________________
From: Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 7, 2011 12:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Pepper


On Sep 7, 2011, at 1:07 PM, Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius wrote:

>> I hadn't seen that grains of paradise are dried berries before; I like
>> grains of paradise, but I hate black pepper, so now I'm curious, what
>> is black pepper ?
> 
> Long pepper, IIRC, is of the same genus as black pepper: piper longum as opposed to piper negrum... or has it, like the Pluto formerly known as a planet, been reclassified?

Come to think of it, grains of paradise aren't berries, but seeds from a pod plant related to cardamom. Afrimomum melegueta. And they say my memory is going as I age...

Is it possible that this elusive pepper-like berry being referred to is pink peppercorns?

Adamantius






"Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls, when we all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's bellies."
            -- Rabbi Israel Salanter

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