Cubeb is obtained from Piper Cubeba L. berries, harvested before fully ripe, then dried. (1) This spice is mainly used for its organoleptic properties and has a slightly stronger flavour than other peppers. Characterised by its delicate aromatic and bitter taste based on its terroir, this pepper provides a balance to all dishes and texture to savoury and sweet foods.
A product of the terroir
This species is found naturally in Indonesia, more precisely on the islands of Java and Sumatra. Our Cubeb pepper is gathered on Java on a territory with a surface area just a few dozen km²…
This seems limited but this is what makes this spice absolutely exceptional: the environment in which this pepper grows gives it a unique character enhancing all flavours it accompanies.
Traditional methods
This product is harvested from May to July by the inhabitants of the region, a way for the villagers to supplement their income and improve their quality of life. When we started our partnership, the inhabitants picked the berries by hand in a random or haphazardly manner, followed by drying in thickly braided cloth baskets, which did not provide optimum drying conditions.
Starting from scratch, we have grown together, and our work methods have evolved to guarantee stability and impeccable quality of this terroir pepper and the sustainability of the procurement supply chain.
We have developed solutions adapted to our partners and carried out with their own resources to add extra value to their activity without distorting their know-how.
"For Life" supply chain
The discovery of our supply chain is above all based on meeting our partners: particularly involved in preserving this endangered plant, they are committed to finding solutions to fight against it becoming extinct. They group all the pepper pickers and develop the production to ensure its sustainability.
To go even farther in this approach, we proposed to our collaborators to help them pass the For Life certification, a label to reflect their involvement. Together we perpetuate this endangered species and we have also created job opportunities and have increased the income of the villagers.
By investing in expanding the plantation in a responsible manner, we preserve this clean area, located in wild forests far from all industries. The traditional harvesting and drying methods with no chemical products respect the environment and conserve all the organoleptic properties of this spice to offer you an exclusive reference:
Please feel free to contact us for any additional requests for this reference.
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Sources:
Nadine Bromberger
Purchasing Manager
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