Kampot pepper is available in three different types. They all come from the same pepper plant, yet each has its own special flavor.
Black Kampot pepper starts with the green, unripe pepper berry. These are harvested and placed on bamboo mats to dry in the sun. After a couple of days the green berries have turned black.
This pepper has an intense flavour. Most black peppers you can buy in the supermarket are spicy but lack any additional flavours. The flavour of black Kampot pepper on the other hand is much more sophisticated. It is spicy but also has notes of eucalyptus, mint and flowers.
Black Kampot pepper is very versatile and can be used in almost any dish.
Red Kampot pepper starts with the ripe pepper berry. The berries are picked by hand when they are intensely red in colour and then dried on bamboo mats.
This pepper is very special. The berries have to be harvested at exactly the right moment or they become too ripe. Because harvesting red pepper berries is more difficult and more time consuming it is only produced in relatively small quantities. It's a true delicacy. The taste of red Kampot pepper is a little bit sweet with a fruity flavour. This pepper is less spicy than the black and white Kampot pepper.
Red Kampot pepper tastes very good in salads, with white meat, seafood and even with pasta.
Just like the red Kampot pepper, white Kampot pepper starts with the ripe pepper berry. It is very rare. After harvesting the berries are soaked in hot water so the outer skin comes off. This process is completely natural, without the use of chemicals. The white inside of the pepper berry is sun dried.
The white Kampot pepper is more spicy than the red one. The flavour is fresh with notes of citrus.
White Kampot pepper tastes very good with fish and cream sauce.
Kampot pepper was the first product in Cambodia to receive a Geographical Indication (GI) in 2010.
It has a special taste that is typical for the Kampot region. This is due to the climate and unique characteristics of the soil. We could say that Kampot pepper is the champagne or Parmigiano-Reggiano of Cambodia.
We think it is very important that the farmers that produce this beautiful pepper receive a fair wage for their labour. That's why we import the pepper directly from a family farm in Kampot and pay an honest price for their produce. The farmer does not use any pesticides or chemical fertilisers, which makes their work a lot safer.
A beautiful pure pepper like this deserves a sustainable packaging. Project Pepper does not use any plastic in their packaging but instead uses bioplastic (derived from plants) and unbleached kraft paper. The ink we use is water based, without chemical solvents. This BPA-free packaging is easy to recycle due to the design.
Kampot sea salt is produced in a traditional way in the salt fields of Kampot province.
The salt is harvested by hand and the farmers receive a fair wage for their labour. Sea water is led through different salt pans in order to purify it in a natural way.
Once the water reached the last basin it is let to evaporate and what is left is beautiful high quality sea salt. This salt is not washed after harvesting and is unrefined. This is why Kampot sea salt is delicate in flavour and all the natural minerals are preserved.
Order in our webshopBeautiful pepper grinders, exclusively made for Project Pepper. These grinders are made in Cambodia in a workshop where people that are disabled, for example due to polio or landmines, receive free training and are employed. They share the profit of the workshop.
The base of the grinder is made of Changkiri wood and the inlay consists of Cambodian Chhlick wood (dark) and Asian pine tree wood (light). Whenever possible they use reclaimed wood, for example from old houses. The grinders can be used to grind pepper as well as salt.
Order in our webshop
Project Pepper's profit is reinvested in Cambodia. We support projects that help provide clean drinking water and education in rural Cambodia. For more information go to www.stichtingapsara.nl.
The term fair trade is used very often and it is not always clear what this term stands for. We use the term fair trade to make clear that we do all that is in our power to buy our products in a socially responsible way. Every product has its own background story, but a few things they have in common:
Our products are not officially certified organic or fair trade. Many producers find the process of applying for a licence to use the official logo very complicated and expensive. It is expensive for both the producer and for us as seller because both have to be certified before we are allowed to use the logo. And also not every producer likes to work in a cooperation (which is necessary if the producer wants to join Fairtrade International). Therefore we choose not to demand from our producers to join any label. We have a good relationship with the producers and choose organisations that have clear social goals and small entrepreneurs that work hard to make a living and welcome our support. A few of our producers are non-profit organisations, like the cooperation that makes our pepper mills and the organisation that produces the ceramics. The same accounts for the organic label. European certification is very expensive. Our pepper farmer has a Cambodian certification from Ecocert. We don't have a fair trade organic label, but that does not mean that our producers do not receive a fair price for their products. On the contrary! But we don't fund any certification organisation and therefore more money can be paid to the projects that we support. All our profit goes to Stichting Apsara (www.stichtingapsara.nl)
You are right! But we have a good reason for this. We rather don't use any plastic. But sometimes you can find non-biodegradable filling or padding, like plastic, in the box. If this is the case, these are materials that we received in mail order packages and reused. Reusing is more environmentally friendly than discarding it! When we buy new filling or padding we will always make sure it is biodegradable and natural, like kraft paper, packaging board or unbleached tissue paper. Of course we make sure that plastic filling does not come into contact with our Kampot pepper and Kampot sea salt. These are packed in bioplastic. The tape we use to seal the boxes is made of paper and a natural rubber based glue. It can be recycled like normal paper.
No, these are not the same. In some European countries it is common to use 'four season pepper': a mix of four colours of pepper. But the red pepper in this four season pepper mix is not real pepper, but a berry that is native to South-America. This berry grows on a scrub and is family of the cashew and pistachio tree. The vibrant red/pink colour makes this berry very suitable for decoration. Red Kampot pepper on the other hand is real pepper. The taste is spicy, floral and even a bit sweet. Red Kampot pepper is made by drying ripe (red) pepper berries. It is easy to recognise the 'fake' red pepper by it's vibrant colour and smoother skin. Red Kampot pepper is more red/orange/brown in colour and has a wrinkled skin. If you are in doubt it is best to have a taste. Red Kampot pepper is much more spicy and aromatic.
Kampot pepper can be fully appreciated if it is ground in a good quality pepper grinder or ground with a pestle and mortar. If you store the pepper in a mill it is important that the pepper mill is not made of a transparent material or that is it stored in a dark cupboard for example. Frequent exposure to light is not good for the quality of the pepper. It is best to use a pepper grinder that has a grinding mechanism on the bottom. Some types of mills have to be turned upside down to be able to grind. After use the mill is turned back to it's original position. After a while you are left with a lot of partly ground grains inside the mill. These grains quickly loose their flavour and aroma. A pestle and mortar is very suitable to grind exactly the right amount of pepper. A course grind gives a more intense flavour.
Of course we pay an honest price to the producers for the Kampot pepper, pepper grinders, ceramics, etc. But also we make sure that a big part of the profit stays in Cambodia, because we think that fair trade is a strong weapon in the battle against poverty. That's why we also cooperate with small Cambodian entrepreneurs as much as possible, for example for transportation and arranging any necessary documents. All profit goes back to Cambodia through Stichting Apsara (www.stichtingapsara.nl). We support for example sanitation and education projects in rural Cambodia.
It's best to store the Kampot pepper in a dark place at room temperature. Store it in a closed bag or a jar with a lid, to keep the aroma.
Once the Kampot pepper is ground, the aroma and spiciness fade within a few hours. A pepper of this quality deserves to be ground fresh!
The inner bag is made of bioplastic and is biodegradable. The kraft paper bag can be discarded like normal paper. Please check the regulations in your country for recycling biodegradable (organic) and paper waste.
Kampot pepper has a unique spicy flavour and is therefore regarded as one of the best peppers in the world. This is due to the climate and unique characteristics of the soil. Also buying this pepper helps provide a good life for the producers. The profit goes to charity to help poor people that live in remote areas.