Tasmanian Pepper

Tasmanian pepper – wild mountain pepper from Australia

This wild-growing Australian speciality is harvested in very small quantities and is a taste experience for lovers of heat. Also called mountain pepper berry – botanically not a true pepper, but the dried berry of the mountain pepper shrub (Tasmannia lanceolata).

Taste and aroma

At first berry-like, sweet and pleasantly gentle. Then the steadily growing heat sets in surprisingly late and lingers long on the palate. Long cooking reduces the heat somewhat but keeps its berry-like pepper aroma.

How to use

A sensational grilling spice that refines pulses, vegetables and meat stews. Also a base for a French pepper sauce and wonderfully aromatic with exotic fruits such as pineapple or mango.

Important: because of the growing heat, dose extremely sparingly. Not suitable for a pepper mill – instead crush the berries in a mortar or chop them finely. Store cool, dry and dark.

Pepper sauce with Tasmanian pepper in 3 steps

1. Sweat shallots in butter, deglaze with a dash of cognac and add cream or veal stock.
2. Crush a little Tasmanian pepper in a mortar, stir in and reduce briefly.
3. Serve with steak or pan-fried meat and season sparingly to taste.

At a glance

• Wild-grown in Australia, harvested in small quantities
• Berry-sweet aroma with a late-arriving, intense heat
• Botanically not a true pepper, but a mountain pepper berry
• Without flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents and additives

Goes well with

For more pepper variety try our long pepper or the warming grains of paradise. More in the pepper collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tasmanian pepper a true pepper?
No. It is the dried berry of the Australian mountain pepper shrub, botanically not a relative of black pepper, but it tastes peppery and hot.

Tasmanian pepper or long pepper?
Both are exotic pepper specialities with their own character. Tasmanian pepper is berry-sweet with a late-arriving, intense heat. The long pepper tastes warmer, sweeter and slightly aniseed-like, with a gentler heat. For strong, growing heat choose the Tasmanian pepper, for warm sweetness the long pepper.

How hot is it?
Very hot, but the heat builds up with a delay. So dose sparingly at first and season again afterwards.

Can I put it in a pepper mill?
No, it is not suitable for that. Crush the berries in a mortar or chop them finely.

What does it go best with?
With grilling, stews, pulses and vegetables, in pepper sauces and even with exotic fruits.