Long Pepper

A popular spice, used like black pepper to season foods in countries such as India, Africa, Morocco, and regions of Asia. Grown on branches of the Piper longum or the Piper retrofractum plants from the pepper family of plants, the berries of the long pepper are clustered on short narrow stems that have a rough outer skin with an appearance very similar to an elongated, miniature pinecone prior to opening. The berry of this pepper can be broken into smaller bits to be ground into a spice providing a sweet and spicy tasting flavor. Long pepper is often used with other spices to flavor foods such as spicy cheeses, stews and lamb dishes.