This award-winning, vine-ripened whole Zanzibar Black Peppercorns are carefully hand-picked and sun-dried for a bright, fruity and spicy peppercorn.
Black pepper grows in bunches like grapes, on a climbing vine. Most black peppercorns are harvested while still green, and the drying process gives them their distinctive dark skin. These are rich, chocolate-coloured peppercorns with dense wrinkles and a bright, fruity spiciness.
Burlap & Barrel is the exclusive importer of Zanzibar black pepper into the United States. This pepper, like all of the spices from Zanzibar, are grown organically.
What they're saying:
Bloomberg writes that this pepper's flavour “punches through with fruitiness and heat—and totally redefines a spice you thought you knew.
Greg Baxtrom, Chef-Owner, Olmsted and Maison Yaki "One of my favourite black peppers, the Zanzibar Black Peppercorn grinder is perfect for just about everything, from crusting a steak to finishing a fresh salad."
- Origin: Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Process: Sun-dried
- Ingredients: Whole black peppercorns (Piper nigrum)
- Tasting notes: Cacao • Lemon • Tropical Heat
COOKING
- Cook a few tablespoons with butter, shallots and cream for an awesome Au Poivre sauce
- Pairs well with: Black Urfa Chili, Smoked Pimenton Paprika, Cured Sumac
SOURCING
This Zanzibar black pepper is sourced from a cooperative of smallholder artisan farmers on the Zanzibar islands off of the eastern coast of Tanzania, whose families have been growing pepper and other spices for generations. Black peppercorns grow in bunches, like grapes, on a climbing vine and are mostly harvested while still green. These peppercorns are allowed to ripen a little longer, where the pepper turns more orange, before it is hand-picked and sun-dried into a rich chocolate-coloured peppercorn berry. It is optimal to store and keep the peppercorns whole, as ground peppercorn loses its flavour and aroma very rapidly.
Like all of the spices from partner cooperatives in Zanzibar, this black pepper is grown on an EU-certified organic farm.
Meet the Farmer: Bwana Bakari (pictured with his child) is the chair of the farmers' cooperative, where the peppercorns are sourced in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Each year, he leads the cooperative in harvesting these spicy, citrusy peppercorns by hand, which are then hand sorted to check for quality.