Timut Pepper

What is Timut pepper?

"After several months in Nepal, I suggest you discover a magic pepper!"

Timut Pepperis part of the great Zanthoxylum family, which makes it a cousin of Sichuan Pepper and Sansho Pepper. It is actually a fake pepper.

This wild pepper grows on a rustic tree, a distant cousin of the lemon tree. It appreciates the climate of the mountains and the poor soils. It is in the Mahabharat mountain range that it is most present.

Less acidic than its counterparts of the Sansho family, it nevertheless offers a nice length in the mouth. On the nose, one can already perceive its strong notes of grapefruit and yuzu, accompanied by a floral touch on a background of exotic fruits.

The Timut pepper berries are distinguished by their red colour as well as their bumpy pericarp. They measure about 0.5cm in diameter.

David Vanilla's choice: I have chosen to present this pepper from Nepal for its rare aromatic qualities. Intense and tangy, it will awaken your cooking.

The harvest of Timut pepper

Timut pepper is harvested from August to October. The pepper is dried in the sun before being stored in granaries to finalize the drying process for about twenty days. Once dry, it is cleaned of its thorns and only the most beautiful berries will be preserved.

The shrub on which Timut pepper grows is found at high altitude, more particularly between 800 and 3,000 metres. Its fruits are harvested by local farmers who, at the same time, also grow barley and rice. Some also raise livestock.

If the harvest of Timut pepper is often added to another agricultural activity, it is because the shrubs are difficult to access and quite rare. A farmer who would like to make it his main activity would have to travel through several valleys and districts to be able to harvest enough of this rare pepper to make a living exclusively from his crop.

Did you know that? The young shoots of the Timut pepper bush are eaten fried and are a common ingredient in Nepalese cuisine

The differences between real and fake pepper

Although it is a fake pepper, Nepal Timut pepper is probably the best pepper in the world. In fact, what distinguishes a real pepper from a fake pepper is not its quality, but the medium on which it grows. A real pepper comes from a creeper, while a false pepper grows on a tree or shrub.

The origins of Timut pepper

At present, there are no documents or accounts that would allow us to date exactly the man's first encounters with Timut pepper.

However, it has been part of the Indian pharmacopoeia for over 5,000 years. This Nepalese pepper is one of the main ingredients in Nepalese cuisine, especially in the Terai region, where Buddha was born.

Nepal's Timut Pepper Today

If you visit Kathmandu, go to the markets. There you will find many stalls where different grades of Timut pepper are displayed. Today, Timut pepper has conquered many great chefs.

Did you know that? Timur" means "red pepper" in Nepalese.

Other uses of Nepalese pepper

Nepal Timut pepper has some health benefits. In particular, it has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 5,000 years. It is named by the followers of this medicine "Tejpal".

The Timut pepper has properties:

• Toning
• Anti-infectives
• Anti-inflammatories

It also helps to bring down the fever.

How to use Timut pepper in cooking?

Timut Pepper will be the ideal condiment for all your dishes, from the starter to the dessert. All the more so as you can use it in the form that suits you best: it gives a brilliant fragrance to dishes whether it is crushed, ground, grilled or even infused!

So please your taste buds and those of your guests with this incredible berry!

It goes perfectly with red meats such as beef or duck. It is excellent on carpaccios.

It also brings flavour to seafood products: scallops, seafood..

Finally, Nepal pepper is excellent with vegetables and is a great alternative to Sichuan pepper, especially in Asian cuisine.

Tip: To preserve all its aromas, I advise you to crush or grind your Timut pepper when you use it. You can also grill it to exhale its aromas.

Our recipe ideas with Timut pepper

Would you like to find out what I think is probably the best pepper in the world? In that case, here is a menu where it will be able to express all its tangy aromas.

The starter: Pan-fried scallops with Timu pepper

A seafood entrée worthy of your festive dinners! Here, salt and pepper your scallops before frying them for 30 seconds on each side in hazelnut butter. If you wish, add vanilla too, for an original starter with exotic flavours.

The dish: Peppered Filet Mignon

Beef lovers will appreciate the combination of red meat and Timut pepper. This Nepalese pepper has the advantage of holding well during cooking. I therefore invite you to pepper and salt your piece of meat before roasting it in butter. A delight served with green vegetables.

The dessert: Spicy passion fruit

Ideal to spice up a fruit salad,the tangy flavours of Nepal Timut pepper combine wonderfully with exotic fruits. Here, we have chosen mangoes, but grilled papaya or pineapple will also be sublimated by this rare pepper.

How to store Timut pepper?

To preserve your Timut pepper, choose a dry place, away from the light. A ceramic pepper pot is the perfect container.