Francesca's Spices - Black Kampot peppercorns, 40g

Black peppercorns from the Kampot region of Cambodia, in resealable packaging.

Kampot pepper is picked by hand and selected with extreme care before the berries reach maturity, when they take on a colour between yellow and orange. The drying process takes place naturally, in the sun.

The long tradition of the treatment of this pepper in this area of Cambodia makes it one of the finest in the world. The origins of the plantations in southern Cambodia date back to the 1800s, but they flourished mainly in the 1950s and 1960s. The plantations were sadly all abandoned during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Following this decline however, pepper plantations are now slowly reviving and this extraordinary spice is helping farmers in one of the world's poorest countries to recreate a peaceful and economically viable future.

It is certainly a pepper for connoisseurs, full-bodied with floral aromas and notes of vanilla, particularly good at enhancing the natural flavours of fresh fish.