Not all Pepper is created equal…In fact, the bulk of pepper sold in the world market is virtually devoid of piperine…the pungent oil that gives high quality peppercorns their rowdy kick. Why?
When pepper berries ripen and their essential oils fully develop, they become incredibly susceptible to volatization either through direct sunlight or post harvest storage. An hour in the sun literally burns away flavor and oil content.
That’s just an hour…imagine what happens to the quality of peppercorn when it is warehoused for 1 or more years!
One traditional harvest technique that has been developed by pepper traders is to push farmers to harvest unripe berries…catch the berries before the oils become volatile.
This process has become the status quo in the international pepper trade and results in cheap product (farmers can harvest all in one sweep) and boring flavor (the pungent heat hasn’t had a chance to develop).
Farm gate prices for peppercorns have steadily dwindled, and with this drop in price has come a general malaise…producers are no longer proud of the heritage of their product and production shortcuts are sought at every level.
The resulting production is both unsustainable ecologically and unviable economically.
Big Tree Farms is trying to rework this sad paradigm.
By reintroducing traditional techniques that select for flavor rather than yield, and offering these beyond peer ingredients to the world market, we are creating a system that strengthens both price and pride for farmers. |
