In the hills behind the village of Muntok, on the Indonesian island of Bangka, pepper farmers climb traditional bamboo tripods and hand-pick fruit spikes of red ripe pepper berries. The fruit spikes are packed into rice sacks and soaked in slow running streams of water that come down off the mountains above. 7 days later the outermost skin of the pepper has disintegrated and the peppercorns are piled together for a traditional trampling called “nari mereca” or the Pepper Dance. The dancing separates the peppercorns from the fruit spike and after a final washing the berries are left to dry in the sun where they will bleach to a whitish-cream. White Peppercorns lose their essential oils when ground, so only grind what you need! Muntok White Peppers can be ground using most any traditional pepper grinder. Mortar and Pestles provide a perfect coarse grind for dry rubs.
They are harvested when slightly under-ripe, soaked to remove the outer skin, and dried. Less aromatic than black pepper, white peppercorns retain their heat, with a flavor suggestions of wine.
View the Peppercorn Information
