Pygmies Wild Pepper - Congo

What is wild pygmy pepper?

This pepper belongs to the piper guineense family, a climbing plant found in Ghana and other African countries. The wild pepper of the Pygmies that I propose to you comes from Congo. It is quite close to the classic pepper, the piper negrum, but also to the cubeb pepper that I also propose you on my online shop of spices of the world. Visually, with its rounded shape and small tail, it is not without reminding the cubeb pepper, the Voatsiperifery pepper or the balsamic pepper. However, this pepper has some differences, its berry is smaller and its tail is longer. This pepper is also called Likouala pepper. Its name comes from the region where it is harvested in northern Congo. It is sometimes found under the name of ndongo bel which means black pepper in Lingala, a national language of the Congo, as well as Swahili in particular. The official language remains French.

What is the flavour of wild Pygmies pepper?

Pygmies wild pepper reveals spicy and slightly smoky notes. There are also notes of myrrh, the aromatic gum produced by the tree of the same name. Slightly spicy, this subtle pepper offers a very nice length in the mouth and will delight lovers of spicy and not too strong flavours, as its piperine composition is low.

Harvesting wild Pygmies' pepper in plantations

The wild pepper of the Pygmies is a wild pepper as its name indicates. It is found in the heart of the Congolese forests. It grows on lianas which can reach 20 m high, its harvest is not without risk. If it is so named, it is simply because it is harvested by the Baka people, a Pygmy people specialized in hunting and gathering. This spice, which thrives in a tropical climate, is harvested from October to December.

How to use wild Pygmies pepper in cooking ?

You're gonna love this pepper. It is perfect for the most sensitive taste buds with its spicy notes and reasonable spiciness. The wild Pygmies pepper is very good for cooking. It is essential if you plan to spice up all your traditional dishes such as stews, burgundies and other blanquettes. It also finds its place in broths or soups. On a carpaccio of beef or salmon, it brings that smoky note that makes all the difference. This pepper can be ground or crushed. If you want to make a delicious pepper sauce, you can use the whole grains that you let infuse in the mixture of beef bouillon cube, flour, vinegar and butter. Do you like to think outside the box? Make a strawberry tart and insert a little wild Pygmy pepper powder into your jelly.

The health benefits of wild Pygmies' pepper

The Bakas are very fond of this Congo pepper for its gustative qualities. But they also use it to relieve stomach pains. In this country where the comfort is not the same as ours, the Bakas use the wild pepper of the Pygmies to preserve their food because of its insecticidal virtues.

Preserving wild Pygmies pepper

I deliver this pepper to you in an airtight bag that you can reseal at your leisure. I advise you to place it in a cupboard away from light and humidity so that it keeps all its gustatory properties.