Timut Pepper - "Grapefruit-Yuzu

What is the Timut pepper?

"After several months in Nepal, I offer you to discover a magical pepper!"

Timut Pepperis part of the large Zanthoxylum family, which makes it a cousin of Sichuan Pepper and Sansho Pepper. It is actually a false 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 grounds. It is in the Mahabharat mountain range that it is most present.

Less acidic than its counterparts of the Sansho family, it offers however a beautiful length in 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 color and their bumpy pericarp. They measure about 0.5cm in diameter.

David Vanille's choice: I chose to present you this pepper from Nepal for its rare aromatic qualities. Intense and tangy, it will wake up your kitchen.

The harvest of Timut pepper

The harvest of Timut pepper takes place from August to October. The pepper is dried in the sun before being stored in granaries to finalize the drying for about twenty days. Once dry, it is cleaned of its thorns and only the most beautiful berries are kept.

The shrub on which Timut pepper grows is found at high altitude, more specifically between 800 and 3,000 meters. Its fruits are harvested by local farmers who, in parallel, also cultivate barley and rice. Some also raise cattle.

If the harvest of Timut pepper is often added to another agricultural activity, it is because the bushes are difficult to access and quite rare. A farmer who would like to make it his main activity would have to travel several valleys and districts to be able to harvest a sufficient quantity of this rare pepper to live exclusively from its cultivation.

Did you know? the young shoots of the Timut pepper plant are consumed in frying and are a common ingredient in Nepalese cuisine.

The differences between real and fake pepper

Although it is a fake pepper, Nepalese 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 support on which it grows. A real pepper comes from a vine, while a fake pepper grows on a tree or a shrub.

The origins of Timut pepper

Currently, there are no documents or stories that could allow us to date exactly the first encounters of man 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 of Nepalese cuisine, especially in the Terai region, where Buddha was born.

Timut pepper from Nepal today

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

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

How to use Timut pepper in cooking?

Timut Pepper will be the ideal condiment for all your dishes, from appetizer to dessert. You can use it in the form that suits you best: it perfumes dishes brilliantly whether crushed, ground, roasted or even infused!

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

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

It can also add flavor to seafood: scallops, seafood ..

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

Tip: To preserve all its flavors, I recommend crushing or grinding your Timut pepper just before using it. You can also roast it to bring out its flavors.

Our recipe ideas with Timut pepper

Would you like to discover what, in my opinion, is probably the best pepper in the world? In that case, here is a menu where it will be able to express all its acidic aromas.

The starter: pan-fried scallops with Timu pepper

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

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 up well during cooking. I invite you to add pepper and salt to your meat before roasting it in butter. A delight served with green vegetables.

Dessert: Spiced passion fruit

Ideal for spicing up a fruit salad, thetangy flavors of Nepalese Timut pepper work 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 store your Timut pepper, choose a dry place and away from light. A ceramic pepper pot is the perfect container.