These timber posts, Alfonso says, are the secret to Sarawak’s pepper farming success. The small seedlings are planted with care, with only a little natural fertiliser added to the soil and supported by strong hardwood posts made out of Belian, a local rainforest ironwood. These are not for sale, they’re planted to keep the ground healthy and of course, to cut down on the weekly grocery bill.Īlfonso bends down to point out a young plant and explain the growing process. Spotted through the vines, we notice a scattering of banana trees, durian trees, pineapple plants and flashes of red chillies. Between 2 and 4 metres high, Alfonso has 475 pepper vines in total, not a lot but enough, he tells us, to support his family. Pepper, Alfonso tells us, grows best on slopes or hillsides, as it requires good drainage.Ī few metres off the roadside and we’re surrounded by columns of vibrant green pepper vines. Vivacious and welcoming, Alfonso ushers us into the heart of his pepper farm, advising us to be careful not to slip, as the ground is steep and slippery. Their forefathers would have been headhunters, but that’s another story. We’ve come to meet Alfonso Sapis, a local farmer who has kindly agreed to show us around his small but thriving pepper plantation.Īlfonso is indigenous to Sarawak his family are Iban, or Sea Dayaks, one of the seven main indigenous groups of Borneo. We’re on the island of Borneo, home of the hornbill and orang-utan, about 30km out of Kuching, the main township in the state of Sarawak, in what’s known as east Malaysia. The land here is rich and fertile, you can almost feel the rainforest growing. Lush, velvety green with tendrils that envelope all that it touches. The predominant colour around us is green. A silvery blanket of mist hangs in the air, making the distant mountain range appear smeary and smudged. The earth is red and sticky and clings to our shoes. It’s hot, but that’s to be expected, we’re in the tropics. The ideal bearing temperature is 15 ☌.It’s mid morning when we arrive at our destination and step out of the air-conditioned comfort of our seen-better-days people mover. All spices should be protected from sun rays. It is best to fill the peppercorns into a spice glass with a lid to make it airtight. Please store this pepper in a dark, cold, and dry place like all spices. Agriculture in the region, which is mainly based on rice cultivation, sago, clover, and pepper, has therefore played an essential role in the deforestation that has arisen as a result of agricultural transformation in the past centuries. To meet the growing consumption and above all the needs of Western and Chinese consumers, there has been a 75% reduction in forest area since the 50s of the last century.

The use of forests has been of great economic importance to the local population in recent decades. Thanks to the enormous development of plantations and the intensive management of the soils, the population has reached 600,000 inhabitants. The administrative capital of Kuching is also home to the region's largest exporters. The Sarawak region is the largest state in Malaysia. It borders the Kalimantan in the south/southeast and the famous Sultanate of Brunei in the northeast, as well as the Maformian state of Sabah. This region is located in the northwestern part of the island. Sarawak is located in the north of the island of Borneo and belongs to Malaysia. Its name Sarawak comes from his country of origin in fact, the pepper collection occurs in this region. As they dry, their outer shell turns black, and they retain their typical wrinkled structure. Their grains are usually picked just before they reach maturity.

Sarawak pepper black is the fruit of the tropical tendril plant Piper Nigrum. But you will also find it in the best cuisines of the Mediterranean.īotany & Origin Information about Sarawak Pepper It is also considered to be a light gourmet pepper, which is most common in Northern Europe. It also has the typical pepper aroma and refines your dish without overlaying it. Sarawak pepper black is an excellent black peppercorn and has the property of having a spicy as well as dry taste.

Sarawak peppercorns