Mountain pepperberry is the dried berries of Mountain Pepper – Tasmannia lanceolata. It has a rich, round peppery flavour, hotter than black pepper, with a very slow burn. After a minute, when the heat dies away, it leaves a lovely berry aftertaste. The ground berries are soluble in water, turning liquids a rich pink/purple colour.

Use mountain pepperberry:

• Where you might use black pepper. Use less until you’re used to the heat.
• Sprinkled over vegetables or meat, used as the base for rubs, marinades and salad dressings, or added as a condiment.
• The berry-like flavours of both the dried and fresh pepperberry makes it surprisingly good in sweet dishes, complementing berries, chocolate, and other rich, “dark” flavours.
• In peppergrinders, as a pepper on its own, or with whole peppercorn mixes. It fits most manual grinders.
• Dried berries are hotter than the more common peppers – use sparingly. For example, if a recipe calls for 12 peppercorns, try 8 or 9 pepperberries initially.