Smoked Black Pepper

I wanted to create a smoked pepper in France that would change every year. As I did not have a smoker in the kitchen laboratory, I turned to a French artisanal house specializing in the cold smoking of fish: Maison Barthouil (Les Landes). After several attempts, we achieved the desired level of smoking.

This year, I chose Phu Quoc pepper for its saline notes. The smoking enhances its salty character, creating a “salty-peppery” taste.

The wood used for the smoking process is alder wood, renowned for its delicacy and aromatic roundness. Maison Barthouil sources its wood locally along the banks of the Adour River.

The distinctive characteristic of pepper from Phu Quoc is its saline note, as it flourishes in an almost briny, intensely maritime environment.

Phu Quoc pepper has become very rare in recent years. Under pressure from real-estate development, old pepper plantations have been almost removed from this magnificent island in southern Vietnam.