Jump to content

Long Pepper


porcupine

Recommended Posts

I remember this from the Zingerman's catalogue we recently received. Here's their suggestion for it: "Ben Ripple, our Balinese salt and long pepper connection, told me that one of his favorite dishes to make is salt-roasted baby potatoes spiced with long pepper, chopped red chiles and lemongrass."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Prior to the 16th century long pepper was commonly used, and sometimes used interchangeably with black pepper. It appears frequently in historical recipes; for more information I refer you to the books of Cindy Renfrow. Nowadays it's rather uncommon; I know some brewers who searched long and hard for it about a decade ago and ended up finding it only in the Vedic section of an Indian grocery.

If you do choose to recreate a historical recipe, find out first if the spice proportions have also been adjusted for modern cooks. Prior to the invention of the locomotive, spices like long pepper typically spent months or years in transit to Europe, being rain-washed along the way, and were so weakened on arrival that European recipes ended up using them in relatively massive doses. I've heard that with pepper, you should start at no more than 5% of what is literally called-for, and then adjust...often downward.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not really what I'm interested in doing, but thanks for the info. Modern recipes will do quite nicely. :o
The long pepper has a fruitier taste than regular pepper, and less heat. I use it like regular pepper, but mostly for dishes where the pepper is supposed to stand out. I really like it on alfredo, but not so much with Carbonara. The long pepper has a fruitier taste than regular pepper, and less heat. Because of the flavor profile, I do not like to cook with it, and use it only to finish a dish. As an example, in the past I have tried to use it on steak before I grill it, but it was lost on the crust, but when I have grated it over the top of a freshly cooked steak it creates a lovely change.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...