Sarawak Pepper

If not for the tour guide who pointed out the vine plant to me, I would not have known that is a pepper plant. According to the guide, pepper is an integral part of the Sarawak diet, and it is common to see them growing in people’s backyard.

Pepper has been commercially grown in Sarawak for over 150 years and it is considered one of Malaysia’s major export commodities.

"Peppercorns grow in clusters, like grapes, and are ripe when they start to turn a brilliant orange-red. It takes 18 months until the vines are ready for their first harvest. Then, once a year the pepper is painstakingly harvested by hand, with the vine producing succulent little peppery berries for up to 10 years." - 👉 HERE

Once picked, the processing requires very little in the way of technology. The fresh peppercorns are laid out to dry in shallow wicker baskets or mats in the warm Sarawak sun. In 3 to 4 days, as long as the weather holds up, you’ll have black peppercorns! If you prefer white pepper, the process is a little more time consuming. The fresh peppercorns are soaked in clean water for 2 weeks, swishing the peppercorns around and changing the water every day to loosen the skins. Once the skins have let go the now creamy coloured peppercorns are drained and set to dry in the sun for another 3 or 4 days….and voila, white peppercorns! - 👉 HERE

Apparently, pepper is packed with nutrients, and health benefits. This is news to me. I had thought it was just a food enhancer, spicing up my food a bit. Refer 👉 HERE for more health benefits and nutrition of the pepper.

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