Original: $12.86
-70%$12.86
$3.86The Story
Penja white pepper is grown in the volcanic soils of the Moungo province in Cameroon, where the rich, fertile earth and tropical rainfall produce peppercorns with an aroma and concentration of essential oils that are difficult to find elsewhere. The pepper is the fruit of Piper nigrum — a giant liana that climbs trees using their rough bark for grip — and is pollinated by rain. In 2014, Penja pepper became the first product on the African continent to receive a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), formally recognising the link between the terroir and the pepper's distinctive quality.
The production is entirely manual. The berries are picked at optimum maturity, then retted and washed to remove the outer pulp, leaving the smooth white inner core. They are sun-dried and sorted by hand — work carried out largely by the women of the local villages. The resulting peppercorn is powerful and complex: woody at its base, with fresh notes of menthol and camphor and a distinctive animal, almost carnal character that sets it apart from milder white peppers. Crushed, it has a remarkable persistence on the palate. It pairs naturally with game, red meat, and oysters, but also works in unexpected places — pear tart, strawberries with lime juice, or seared pineapple with vanilla ice cream and a few pinches of Penja pepper.
Producer: Terre Exotique, a French spice house founded in 1998 after its founder discovered Penja pepper on a plantation in Cameroon. This is the pepper that started it all — the discovery that inspired the founding of the company and its mission to source directly from growers worldwide.
Storage: Ambient. Store in a dry place.
Net: 80g
Details & Craftsmanship
Every detail has been carefully considered to bring you the perfect product.
Description
Penja white pepper is grown in the volcanic soils of the Moungo province in Cameroon, where the rich, fertile earth and tropical rainfall produce peppercorns with an aroma and concentration of essential oils that are difficult to find elsewhere. The pepper is the fruit of Piper nigrum — a giant liana that climbs trees using their rough bark for grip — and is pollinated by rain. In 2014, Penja pepper became the first product on the African continent to receive a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), formally recognising the link between the terroir and the pepper's distinctive quality.
The production is entirely manual. The berries are picked at optimum maturity, then retted and washed to remove the outer pulp, leaving the smooth white inner core. They are sun-dried and sorted by hand — work carried out largely by the women of the local villages. The resulting peppercorn is powerful and complex: woody at its base, with fresh notes of menthol and camphor and a distinctive animal, almost carnal character that sets it apart from milder white peppers. Crushed, it has a remarkable persistence on the palate. It pairs naturally with game, red meat, and oysters, but also works in unexpected places — pear tart, strawberries with lime juice, or seared pineapple with vanilla ice cream and a few pinches of Penja pepper.
Producer: Terre Exotique, a French spice house founded in 1998 after its founder discovered Penja pepper on a plantation in Cameroon. This is the pepper that started it all — the discovery that inspired the founding of the company and its mission to source directly from growers worldwide.
Storage: Ambient. Store in a dry place.
Net: 80g
