Verbena Pepper

Verbena pepper – a Vietnamese citrus pepper with lemon-verbena aroma

When you open the tin, an excitingly fresh citrus aroma streams out – with hints of lemongrass and lemon verbena. The Verbena pepper from Vietnam combines the mild heat of a high-quality pepper with an intense, almost perfume-like citrus character. Discreet bitter aromas and a pleasant freshness round off the flavour picture.

This pepper is not an ordinary pepper substitute, but an aromatic spice in its own right for dishes that can take freshness and depth at the same time. It is especially suited to fresh, modern cooking – and also surprises in dessert cooking.

Use in the kitchen

The Verbena pepper unfolds its aroma best when added to the food only just before serving. It goes excellently with:

• Fish and seafood: prawns, scampi, salmon, sea bass, pike-perch
• Light meat: poultry, veal, pork loin
• Asian dishes: dressings, sauces, light wok dishes
• Salads: as a finish over leaf salads or tomato salad
• Desserts: surprisingly good with fruit salads, sorbets, jams and chutneys

For marinades and rubs the Verbena pepper is especially well suited – it gives light proteins a citrus-fresh character without overpowering them.

Note: a crystallisation of the essential oils is possible – this does not affect the quality.

A little recipe idea: Verbena-pepper prawns on lemon-butter pasta

Cook the pasta al dente. Briefly fry the prawns in butter, salt them. Add the pasta to the pan, emulsify into a sauce with lemon butter, a splash of white wine and a tablespoon of water. Add freshly crushed Verbena pepper over the dish when serving. Intense, fresh, light.

Goes excellently with: fish, seafood, poultry, salads, Asian dishes, desserts and chutneys.