30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASEKampot, Cambodia is one of pepper's sacred places, and their pepper is one of the very few spices in the world with a geographical indication (GI), a protection similar to that of champagne and Parma ham. There are good reasons for this. Sothy tends his farm with a precision and care that shows in the final product, and every grain in this jar is sorted by hand with tweezers. The black and red pepper come from exactly the same place, but are harvested at different times and with different results. Black Kampot is picked before full ripeness, with the skin intact, and dried in a way that concentrates the aromas beneath the surface rather than letting them evaporate with the moisture.
The flavour is one of bergamot, pine forest, a fresh and almost mint-like peppery finish and a lingering warmth that stays long. There is a cool, stripped quality to it that is absent in most black pepper varieties. The technique some chefs use is to crush the grain three times with increasing force: once to open and release the outer aromas, once for the heat inside, and a third time as a fine finish. Three layers of flavour from one and the same grain.
It is the everyday pepper for those who have learned what pepper can be. Grind directly from the mill onto everything that needs black pepper, and notice the difference from day one.
