Pepperberry (mountain pepper)
Tasmannia lanceolata · Spice
Top 10 pairings
Pepperberry, also called mountain pepper, is the small round fruit of Tasmannia lanceolata, a cold-climate shrub native to the wet forests of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. The dried, glossy purple-black berries open with a sweet, fruity, juniper- and clove-like aroma and then deliver a slow-building, lingering heat — one of the most prized native Australian "bush foods," used whole or ground in both the berry and its peppery leaf.
Picking a good onedrag
Just milled, loud and oilyFaded, dusty, smells of nothing
Whole in the jarEveryday bestSealed and dark, whole berries keep a year or more. Drop them into braises, stock and pickling brine, or grind a pinch as you cook.
Crush and smellStill fruity and warm, but the juniper lift has gone quiet
Whole, not groundWhole berries, a few skins split, a little fine dust below
Look at the berriesBrowner and duller in places, some split skins, fines below
Press oneFirm and still staining clearly, a few berries softer than most