Cubeb Pepper, Whole

Cubeb Pepper, or the tailed peppercorn, has a big, bold taste. The pepper has a rounded allspice flavour with eucaluptus notes and a cooling spiciness. It is used across the Middle East and Indonesia for both sweet and savoury dishes and to season curries such as Indonesian Rendang.

Native to the Indonesian island of Java, it is also sometimes known as the Java pepper and continues to be cultivated there for both local and international consumption. Alongside its culinary uses, it has been championed for its health benefits, believed to alleviate symptoms of cough, congestion and indigestion.

Cubeb pepper is great for cutting through fatty meats and flavours in belly pork, tagines and Game. When the pepper is cooked, its bitter notes dissolve and because of this, the Middle East love adding it to pastries that contain dates, honey and pekmez.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, it was one of the most common ingredients used in gin production throughout Europe, highly valued for its unique flavour and aroma which added complexity to the spirit. Nowadays, in modern gin productions, it’s been mostly replaced with other botanicals such as juniper berries, coriander or citrus peels.

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