Black peppercorns grow 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. Ours are allowed to ripen on the vine before being hand-picked and sun-dried, resulting in a rich chocolate-colored peppercorn berry with dense wrinkles and a bright, fruity spiciness.
Burlap & Barrel is the exclusive importer of Zanzibar black pepper into the United States. Our peppercorns, like all of our spices from Zanzibar, are grown organically.
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Origin: Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Process: Sun-dried
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Ingredients: 100% whole black peppercorns (Piper nigrum)
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Tasting notes: Cacao • Lemon • Tropical Heat
COOKING
- Grind fresh onto anything and everything
- Saute ground with butter and cheese and drizzle over pasta for Cacio e Pepe
- Cook a few tablespoons with butter, shallots, and creme for an Au Poivre sauce
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Pairs well with: Silk Chili, Smoked Pimenton Paprika, Cured Sumac
SOURCING
We source our Zanzibar peppercorns from a cooperative of smallholder artisan farmers on the Zanzibar islands off of the eastern coast of Tanzania, many of whose families have been growing peppercorns and other spices (including our cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) for generations. Black peppercorns grow in bunches, like grapes, on a climbing vine and are mostly harvested while still green. Ours 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-colored peppercorn berry. It is optimal to store and keep the peppercorns whole as ground peppercorn loses its flavor and aroma very rapidly.
Like all of the spices from our partner cooperative in Zanzibar, our black peppercorns are grown EU-certified organic.
