Cubebs in the Kitchen

Appears in
Pepper
Pepper

By Christine McFadden

Published 2008

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Though not much used in the West today, cubebs are an everyday spice in Indonesian cuisine. Maintaining their Arab connection, they also feature in North African dishes such as lamb stews and tagines, and in the complex Moroccan spice mixture Ras el Hanout.

Compared with black pepper, cubebs are not as bitingly hot. They have a distinctive aroma – slightly sweet and camphorous with a hint of nutmeg. The flavour of a raw berry is fresh and piny – a bit like mouthwash – with a bitter taste that lingers in the mouth. This doesn’t sound too promising, but once cooked, the berry develops a much fuller flavour with a pleasant rounded spiciness.