Long Pepper

Indigenous to India, long pepper is related to the pepper plant but bears mild-flavoured, greyish black fruit about 2 cm long. It was traded as a valuable commodity and used as currency in Roman times long before the small, round black peppercorns were discovered. Long pepper is used whole as a pickling spice in South-East Asia and otherwise in Javanese and Indian cooking (where it is often combined with green chillies and garlic, or with lentils). Available: rare (try specialist spice suppliers or Indian or Asian food stores).