Lindi Pepper

Lindi Pepper is the dried fruiting spike (catkin) of Piper longum, better known as long pepper or pippali. The small, ridged, dark grey-brown catkins look like tiny pine cones and are a close relative of black pepper. The flavour starts sweet and resinous, then builds into a slow, lingering heat that is warmer and more perfumed than black pepper.

Long pepper is an old spice of Indian, Nepali and Indonesian cooking, and it was a common pepper in Roman and medieval European kitchens before black pepper took over. Use it in curries, pickles, braises, spiced syrups, mulled drinks and homemade garam masala, or grind it over roasted vegetables and meat in place of black pepper.

Whole catkins keep their aroma far longer than ground pepper, so grind only what you need. They can also go into pickling brines and slow-cooked stews whole, where they release their heat gradually.

How to use it

Crush or grind one or two catkins with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and add them to a curry base, stew, pickle or marinade. For a gentle background warmth, drop a whole catkin into a simmering pot and lift it out before serving. Start with one catkin for four servings and adjust from there. Technique tip: toast the catkins in a dry pan for thirty seconds before grinding to bring out the sweet, resinous aroma.

Botanical Name: Piper longum
Also known as: Long Pepper, Pippali, Pipli, Lindi Pipli, Indian Long Pepper