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Zanzibar Black Peppercorns

Award-winning, vine-ripened peppercorns, bright, lemony, spicy.

Regular price
$9.99
Regular price
Sale price
$9.99
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per 
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Sale price
$9.99

Why Burlap & Barrel?

  • Single origin spices sourced directly from small farms
  • Over 10,000 5-star reviews
  • Guaranteed to wow you or we'll replace

*Winner of the Gold medal for quality by Monde Selection*

Our award-winning, vine-ripened Zanzibar Black Peppercorns are carefully hand-picked and sun-dried for a bright, lemony and spicy peppercorn that's unlike anything else on the planet. These are rich, chocolate-colored peppercorns with dense wrinkles and a bright, fruity spiciness.

The peppercorns grow on the sloped hills of Pemba Island among coconut, cinnamon, and clove trees, and the vanilla vines that climb up them. The lush environment along the sandy soil produces these smaller, more intense peppercorns. Grind fresh over everything.

"Punches through with fruitiness and heat—and totally redefines a spice you thought you knew."
"When I started using their black pepper, I was like, 'This is a whole other level of taste.'" -Alison Stewart, Emmy and Peabody award-winning journalist
"One of my favorite black peppers, the Zanzibar Black Peppercorn grinder is perfect for just about everything, from crusting a steak to finishing a fresh salad." - Greg Baxtrom, Chef-Owner

Highlights

Origin:

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Process:

Sun-dried

Tasting notes:

Cacao  • Lemon • Tropical Heat

Ingredients

Kosher
non gmo clear
non irradiated clear
no preservatives clear
Salt Free
Ingredients:

Whole black peppercorns (Piper nigrum)

Cooking tips

  • Grind over everything for a bright, peppery kick 
  • Make the best cacio e pepe of your life 
  • Cook a few tablespoons with butter, shallots and cream for an Au Poivre sauce

RECIPES

SOURCING

Sourcing image

We source our Zanzibar black pepper from a cooperative of smallholder artisan farmers on the Zanzibar islands off of the eastern coast of Tanzania, many of whose families have been growing pepper and other spices (including our Cinnamon Verum, Pemba Cloves and Stone Nutmeg) for generations. Black peppercorns grow in bunches, like grapes, on a climbing vine and are mostly harvested while still green. Ours are allowed to ripen a little longer, where the pepper turns more orange, before it is hand-picked and sun-dried into a rich chocolate-colored peppercorn berry. It is optimal to store and keep the peppercorns whole, as ground peppercorn loses its flavor and aroma very rapidly.

Like all of the spices from our partner cooperative in Zanzibar, our black pepper is grown on an EU-certified organic farm.

Meet the Farmer: Bwana Mohammed and Farooq are pictured with vanilla vines on a farm that is part of the cooperative in Zanzibar.

how do we compare? Supermarket Icon Supermarket Fair Trade Icon Fair Trade
Heirloom Spices Yes No No
Fair Prices for Farmers Yes No Depends on global commodity price
Time in Storage None. We import spices at harvest Up to 10 years At least 1 year
Flavor Profile Intense & fresh Stale & bland Inconsistent
Knows Farmers Names Yes No Unlikely
Customer Service Fast responses from real people! No There might be a 1-800 number?
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