# Help me! What spice is it?



## vlad_50 (Aug 16, 2013)

Good Afternoon!

I have a problem to identify a spice and I ask any help.



 (click to enlarge)

My seller says that it is a long pepper.

Really the fruit looks like a long pepper on the images that I have found out in Internet. But there isn't good conformity. 

Additionally, the spice has a slightly bitter (but not hot!) taste and a camphoraceous (similar a black cardamom) aroma, i.e. both flavours aren't tipical for a long pepper.

Therefore I mistrust the seller. But I cannot find any information in Internet about anything like the fruit.

Can anyone help me to identify its?

PS. I'm sorry for my English that isn't as good as one would like.


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## Steve Kroll (Aug 16, 2013)

I have to agree with the seller. It sure looks like long pepper (piper longum).


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## Hoot (Aug 16, 2013)

Howdy! Welcome to D.C.!
I agree. It looks like long pepper and the flavor profile fits. 
Spice Hunting: Long Pepper


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 16, 2013)

I think you nailed it Hoot. I'll be interested in seeing if I can find this spice locally.


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 16, 2013)

I have no idea 

Welcome to the forum


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## vlad_50 (Aug 17, 2013)

Thanx to all for the welcome and the replies!



Hoot said:


> It looks like long pepper and the flavor profile fits.
> Spice Hunting: Long Pepper



I have another long peper having flavour that matches with one discribed.

Two fruits have some differences (the fruit being identified is the first):

color - only matt black vs. from dark red-brown to black,
shape - bent half-open cone vs straight (as a rule) beautiful cone
taste - small bitter without any heating vs heat (a little more than black pepper has),
aroma of whole fruit - camphoraceous vs missing in fact.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 17, 2013)

I never thought of any real peppers (_piper_) as having heat. I associate heat with _capsicum_ which are of course not true peppers. (When first imported from the New World people had mistakenly thought the species were related.)


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## vlad_50 (Aug 17, 2013)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I never thought of any real peppers (_piper_) as having heat. I associate heat with _capsicum_ which are of course not true peppers. (When first imported from the New World people had mistakenly thought the species were related.)



Sorry. As I wrote my English isn't good unfortunatly.

I understand that you write about but I have some problems to correlate my feeling of any flavor and English terms. For example I know 'earthy flavor' but I cannot translate into Russian because there isn't any analogous in the language 

In the case the word 'heat' means 'pepper flavor', perhaps 'spicy', 'pungent', 'burning' or similar. And I would like to know the correct term with pleasure.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 19, 2013)

Please do some research on the plant families piper and capsicum. It is important for amateur and professional chefs, and enthusiasts, to understand the difference between these species.

And be aware that there is no secure definition of "hotness" other than the Scoville scale.

As far as the correct word, unfortunately there are too many and too many nuances.


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## taxlady (Aug 19, 2013)

Personally, I find that freshly ground black pepper does have some heat. It is very noticeable in a steak au poivre. "Poivre" is black or white pepper. Piment" is French for capsicum.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Aug 20, 2013)

Oh I really like steak au poivre! I do it often. So easy, so fast, so good!


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## vlad_50 (Aug 20, 2013)

*Greg Who Cooks*,
there is the problem that any flavor may be differently definded.
For example, about chilli:

1. I see in capsicum:
The name "pepper" came into use because of their similar flavour to the condiment black pepper, _Piper nigrum_...

2. In Russian the chili flavor is discribed by the word that can be translated as "sharp" or "incisive" but no "hot".

I have found out my pepper 
Its name is Piper capense L.f. (wild pepper, african long pepper) and 
it is absent in piper (genus)

Thanx to all for the discussion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_pepper


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 23, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Personally, I find that freshly ground black pepper does have some heat.



I concur!


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## GotGarlic (Aug 23, 2013)

taxlady said:


> Personally, I find that freshly ground black pepper does have some heat. It is very noticeable in a steak au poivre. "Poivre" is black or white pepper. Piment" is French for capsicum.



If you don't believe it, chew a teaspoon of peppercorns for a few minutes!


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## Kylie1969 (Aug 23, 2013)

GotGarlic said:


> If you don't believe it, chew a teaspoon of peppercorns for a few minutes!


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