Rimbàs Black Pepper

Nearly four thousand kilometres east of Kerala is the fertile Rimbàs region of Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Here, in the remote village of Babu Sedebau, twelve families of Ibans, the most numerous of Sarawak’s native population, live together in a typical pile-dwelling or longhouse. It is the duty of a good Iban never to leave land uncultivated, so the outlying fields are planted with Kuching black pepper, a local variety named after the state’s capital.

The pepper fields are small and pepper is not a primary commodity; the villagers tend it in their spare time. Grown as a relatively short bushy vine supported by wooden posts rather than live trees, this pepper is probably less labour-intensive than its Keralan cousin. However, Rimbàs pepper is excellent quality and if production were to be increased, the crop could bring in more income for the families.