Kampot Pepper Red: late vintage pepper
The Red Kampot Pepper from Cambodia is something very special, it is a pepper harvested only at full maturity. Namely when its berries turn red. This Red Kampot pepper belongs to the World's best and rare pepper varieties and is highly appreciated and recommended by the star chefs and gourmets worldwide.
its taste
The RED Kampot pepper has an unmistakable intense taste. It embodies the full aroma of black pepper combined with a unique sweet note. It is not always available because it is really rare, but if it is available you should try it.
It has a reddish brown color and a wonderfully woody aroma with notes of red fruits and honey. Freshly ground or crushed, it refines salads, pasta, duck, pork and dessert with its unique taste. Use it on chocolate and fruits like strawberries and pears.
I personally have given the red Kampot pepper in a peppermill. This is on my table and is very gladly used. You can also mix it with other peppervarieties and create your own personal pepper seasoning.
Growing Region
The Red Kampot pepper is produced in the southern province of Cambodia called Kampot. The province of Kampot is located by the river Teuk Chhou and has the elephant mountains in its back. The geographic events and the tropical climate, with only short dry seasons, are perfect for the cultivation of this exceptional pepper.
The pepper plant
Pepper is the fruit of the pepper plants (Piperacea) which is a Tropical vine. It has about 700 species. The pepper plant needs a lot of water, but it cannot stand with its feet in water. Otherwise it will rot really quick. At the age of 3 years the plant starts to carry it fruits - the pepper and can be harvested twice a year for up to 30 years.
The pepper plant can grow up to 10 m tall but is kept at 3-4 m in commercial cultivation. It needs shadow and lots of water. It is best to plant the pepper plant on hills, so that the rain water can drain.
Cultivation
The hilly landscape of Kampot offers ideal conditions for the pepper plant. Not only can the water drain easily, even the soil is very nutritious. This is also the reason why this region has already grown pepper since the 13th century.
This long, successful tradition and the perfection of their craftsmanship allows the pepper grower to take the risk of producing red peppers. The production of Red Kampot pepper is very difficult. It always involves a great risk of delaying the harvest and waiting for the ripe red pepper berries. The producers can lose their entire crop due to weather fluctuations or pests. In addition, a high degree of expertise is required to ensure the exact timing of harvesting the berries. Overripe pepper can spoil faster due to its higher sugar content, as well as being more susceptible to damage during harvest. In addition, the pickers must exercise great care when picking, as the fully ripe pepper fruits are very sensitive and very easily damage it. Therefore it is handpicked.
The harvest
This Red Kampot pepper was harvested at full maturity when the peppercorns were red, hand-picked and dried under the sun. After drying, they were selected and packaged by hand. Only perfect pepper berries come to Europe.
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