Steamed Cod with wild peppercorn

This recipe originally from: https://onestove.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/steamed-cod-with-wild-peppercorn/

Taiwan has a lot of beautiful scenic places with poetic names. One place which I visited recently is Xiangtian (“Facing the Sky”) Lake in Nanzhuang, Maoli County. While we were waiting for the bus, we spied several small shacks next to the bus stop selling “Maqaw Eggs”.  What in the world are Maqaw eggs?  It turns out Maqaw  马 告 (pinyin “Ma Gao”) is a kind of wild peppercorn that is famous in Miaoli’s aboriginal cuisine. Its scientific name is Litsea Cubeba, a plant native to Taiwan, China and Indonesia. Its fruit produces a lemony essential oil which is used in soaps and its seeds are used in cooking. The stall was selling hard boiled Chinese tea eggs specially flavored with Maqaw so we naturally had to try them (they were delicious!) as well as Maqaw peppercorn seeds. The proprietor convinced me that they are very expensive in New York specialty stores but it’s a good price at Xiangtian Lake because they are locally grown. Not one to pass up a deal, I naturally had to buy a bottle of the fragrant wild peppercorn. It is supposed to be great for tea eggs as well as pork and fish dishes. So tonight I sprinkled some Maqaw peppercorn seeds on my cod fish and they certainly added a lovely citrony flavor to the dish.

1 piece cod fish

1 tbsp black bean and garlic sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)

1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)

1/2 tbsp XO sauce

1 tbsp Maqaw peppercorn seeds

1. Rinse the cod fish under running water.  Pat dry. Place it on a dish, add all the ingredients on top of the fish. Steam for 10 mins or until cooked.

2. Sprinkle spring onions on top for garnish. Serve hot with steamed rice.

This is one of two recipes that include: maqaw pepper

Roast Asparagus with Long Pepper Gremolata Recipe

This recipe originally from: https://www.seriouseats.com/roast-asparagus-with-long-pepper-gremolata-recipe

Roast Asparagus with Long Pepper Gremolata Recipe

by Max Falkowitz updated Aug. 30, 2018

Now's the time of year when I eat asparagus once or twice a week. To change things up from the usual, I dressed it with a modified gremolata—typically a mixture of citrus zest, minced garlic, herbs, and spices. This version takes advantage of long pepper's sweet pungency, fleshed out by coriander, enlivened by lemon. It's a simple—and a favorite—way to enjoy long pepper. And asparagus, for that matter.

Since the spices aren't cooked at all, they are best toasted before grinding to bring out their flavors.

Ingredients

1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus

2 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 teaspoons long pepper, toasted and freshly ground

1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, toasted and freshly ground

4 cloves garlic, minced

Zest of one lemon

Directions

Turn on broiler and adjust rack to 4 to 6 inches from heat source. Trim bottom two inches off asparagus, rub with oil, and season well with salt. Arrange in a single layer in an oven-safe skillet or baking sheet.

Broil for two to three minutes, then check on asparagus for signs of light charring and a bright green color. Very thin spears may be finished at this point. Squeeze gently with tongs. If still very firm, return to broiler for another two to three minutes, or until spears bend slightly but break with a snap.

Combine long pepper, coriander, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix to combine. Toss with asparagus and serve immediately.

This Recipe Appears In

Spice Hunting: Long Pepper

This is one of two recipes that feature: long pepper

This recipe also includes: coriander, citrus rind

Cooking with Pippali: Sweet & Spicy Recipes

This recipe originally from: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/blog-the-banyan-insight/details/cooking-with-pippali-sweet-spicy-recipes/

Cooking with Pippali: Sweet & Spicy Recipes

Pippali or Piper longum is a small shrub and grows all over the tropical forest of India. It has a special affinity for the respiratory system, and it also supports the digestive, reproductive, circulatory, and nervous systems. 

Commonly known as long pepper, pippali is the fruit of the plant (although sometimes referred to as the flower) and one of the most precious herbs in Ayurveda and Indian cuisine. In its dry form, pippali has a pungent or sharp taste. Its energy, or virya, is mildly heating, and it has a sweet post-digestive effect, which is soothing and balancing. It pacifies vata and kapha and even though it is pungent and heating, it is fine for pitta if used short-term and in moderation. It has oily, light, and penetrating qualities.

In its fresh green form, pippali has the opposite qualities that are found in the dried form. When green, it is sweet in taste, it can aggravate kapha and reduce pitta, and it is heavy, which makes it harder to digest.

Pippali in the Kitchen

While pippali is a true pepper, it is considerably less hot than many ground pepper varieties. At the same time, it is deeply aromatic and energizing. It’s a tasty addition when cooking poultry, fish, and vegetable stews or dals.

Since ancient times, long pepper has been used in cooking for its hot and spicy flavor. Its popularity in the kitchen has decreased because black pepper and chili pepper are cheaper and easier to grow. On the other hand, those who understand the value of pippali continue using it in different recipes including some desserts because it has a sweet aftertaste and aids in digestion.

Toor Dal & Pippali Soup

Pippali is also used in healing foods. This soup recipe is a good addition to a meal as an appetizer, promoting healthy digestion and robust agni.

Ingredients:

1 ripe medium tomato, finely chopped

¼–½ teaspoon pippali powder

1–2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

4 curry leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup cooked toor dal

3 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ghee

Directions:

Combine the pippali, cumin seeds, and garlic together and set aside.

Heat the ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop add the curry leaves. Add the crushed pippali, cumin, and garlic mixture and a pinch of salt, and sauté till the spices are aromatic. Add about 3 cups of water, gradually add the chopped tomato and tamarind concentrate, mix well, then add the brown sugar and stir. Let it simmer on medium low till the tomato is cooked.

Adjust salt to taste, add the cooked and mushed toor dal, chopped cilantro (reserve some for garnish, if preferred), and stir well, letting the soup simmer till it becomes creamy. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.

Sweet & Spicy Fruit Truffles

This is a simple and delicious seasonal dessert recipe. It also works well as a snack. In addition to being nourishing, it’s also a good digestive aid for the winter season. 

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pitted dates

½ cup chopped dried figs

½ cup chopped almonds that have first been soaked and peeled

½ cup roasted cashews

½ cup honey

½ cup roasted sesame seeds

¼ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons pippali powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Directions:

Chop the dates and figs into small pieces and combine in a bowl. Chop the almonds and lightly roasted cashews into very small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix and massage all the ingredients with the hands while adding the coconut oil. This will make a sticky paste. Then add half of the honey and mix well. Add the pippali and nutmeg powders and thoroughly combine all the ingredients.

Roll the mixture into bite size balls. Add a little honey on the surface of each ball and roll in the roasted sesame seeds. Place the balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until they become firm. Once they have set they are ready to be served. Left overs can be kept in a covered container at room temperature for up to ten days.

This is one of two recipes that feature: long pepper

This recipe also includes: cumin, mustard, sesame, nutmeg

Pepper Soup Spice

This recipe originally from: https://lowcarbafrica.com/pepper-soup-spices/

Published on Mar 12, 2020. Updated on Jan 21, 2021. By Tayo.

If you have ever tasted an African pepper soup, you might be wondering what gives it its unique and earthy flavor. I’m going to show you how to make pepper soup spice from scratch using the traditional ethnic spices, and also how to make it using everyday spices from your local grocery store.

African pepper soup dishes are made with a blend of complex and unique spices. These spices are commonly found in the West African region and used in a variety of ethnic soups, like this goat meat pepper soup.

Traditional Spices Used In Making African Pepper Soup Spice

Alligator pepper: also known as Grains of Paradise, Guinea pepper, and Melegueta pepper. In Nigeria, this spice is known as Atare, Atariko or Ulima seeds.

Alligator pepper has a nutty, woody flavor with a hint of citrus. It has a nice peppery taste without any harsh after-burn.

It also makes a great substitute for black pepper for those that don’t like the taste or are allergic to it.

Selim pepper: also known as Grains of Selim, Ethiopian pepper, Senegal pepper, Negro pepper, Kani pepper or Uda seed. This pepper has a musky flavor of smoked herbs with a hint of bitter cocoa. It is similar in flavor to peppercorns.

Calabash nutmeg: also known as Jamaican nutmeg, African nutmeg, and Muscadier de Calabash. In Nigeria, it is known as Ehuru, Ariwo or Ehiri, depending on what tribe you’re from.

This spice is very similar to nutmeg and is grown in West Africa and also in the Caribbean islands.

How To Make Pepper Soup Spices From Scratch Using Traditional African Spices.

Roast the calabash nutmeg in a dry pan for about two minutes.

Grind the calabash nutmeg, selim pepper, and alligator pepper together to a fine powder. My go-to grinder is this handy coffee grinder or this mortar and pestle set.

Make sure they are well mixed together and store in an airtight container.

This makes 3 tablespoons of the pepper soup mix and each serving has 0 net carbs and 0 calories.

You can get all these spices from amazon or an African store and mix yourself or just buy a pre-packaged pepper soup spice mix. I have done both and I honestly can’t tell the difference as they both turned out really good.

How To Make Pepper Soup Spice Using Spices Commonly Found In The Grocery Store

It can be quite hard to get the native pepper soup spices if you don’t live in Africa. I like to order from Amazon sometimes but the items frequently go out of stock.

So I began to experiment with different household spices to see if I could come up with something relatively close.

After a few hours of mixing, smelling, tasting and shoving my spice blend under my husband’s nose for his approval, I eventually came up with a mix that mimics the taste of the traditional blend.

The ingredients I used are Allspice, Peppercorn, Ginger, Cayenne pepper, Fennel seeds, and Cumin.

Allspice has a woody flavor that resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. So if you don’t have allspice on hand, you can recreate it using half a teaspoon each of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

To Prepare The Pepper Soup Spice:

Grind the peppercorn and fennel seeds to a fine powder using a spice blender.

Mix all the spices together and store them in an airtight container. This produces about 3 tablespoons of the pepper soup mix.

One serving is roughly 1 - 1.5 tablespoons, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. As you can see, both spices are quite similar though not quite the same. But if you can't get the traditional spices, this option will work perfectly as it tastes really close to the original.

What Can I Use Pepper Soup Spice For?

This spice is perfect for African pepper soups like this Nigerian Pepper Soup and this Fish Pepper Soup. You can also add small quantities to any stew or soup to really enhance the taste and flavor.

Check out these African pepper soup recipes!

Chicken Pepper Soup

Goat Meat Pepper Soup

Nigerian Pepper Soup

Fish Pepper Soup

Pepper Soup Spices

Learn how to make Nigerian pepper soup spice from scratch using the traditional ethnic spices, and also using common spices from your grocery store.

Ingredients to make pepper soup spice (using traditional African spices)

6 calabash nutmeg

8 selim peppers

1 tbsp alligator pepper

Ingredients to make pepper soup spice (using regular spices)

1 tbsp peppercorn

2 tsp allspice

1.5 tsp ginger

1 tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp cumin

Instructions

How to make pepper soup spices using traditional African spices

Roast the calabash nutmeg in a dry pan for about two minutes. 

Remove the outer skin and take out the seed inside.

Grind the calabash nutmeg, selim pepper, and alligator pepper together to a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container.

How to make pepper soup spices using common spices

Grind the peppercorn and fennel seeds to a fine powder using a spice blender.

Mix with the other spices together and store in an airtight container.

Notes

This produces about 3 tablespoons of the pepper soup mix. One serving is roughly 1 - 1.5 tablespoons, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.

The recipe card shows the nutrition info for the pepper soup spice made from spices found in the grocery store.

The traditional pepper soup spice contains 0 calories and 0 carbs.

This is one of two recipes that feature: grains of Selim

This recipe also includes: african nutmeg, alligator pepper, black pepper, allspice, ginger, cayenne, fennel, cumin