How did freeze-dried pepper attack us?
Sometimes people embark on projects that they initially consider just an experiment and don't have too many expectations from. This is exactly how the story of our freeze-dried pepper started, which became one of the best gastronomic delicacies in the world.
You no longer have to go all the way to Cambodia for fresh pepper
Its story began at the moment when we were pondering how to offer customers the taste of fresh peppercorns. The taste of fresh green berries is significantly different from that of subsequently dried grains. How to do it?
If we had simply harvested, packed, and shipped fresh peppercorns to Europe, they would have arrived from Asia in a condition definitely unsuitable for consumption. Kampot pepper is an organic product that has no protective layer of pesticides. Therefore, it was first necessary to come up with a way to preserve the peppercorns and prepare them for the long journey.
Our helper in this task was a special brine made from fleur de sel. We designed its recipe so that it could maintain the freshness of the fruits during their long journey while significantly not altering the unique taste, which was the alpha and omega of the entire project. On the contrary – to enhance this taste!
He came, he saw, he was fresh, and he conquered
The next task came when we opened the fresh, marinated pepper from Cambodia at home. We had to think about how to get it to customers in the freshest possible form. Leaving the fruits in the brine was one solution, but it did not meet our requirements for shelf life and quality. So what next?
The answer appeared essentially by itself when Lukáš, one of our co-founders, started talking during the For Gastro fair with Lukáš Zach from Zach's pesto & chilli. Lukáš already had extensive experience with so-called lyophilization, which, according to him, could be the solution. And he was right! After numerous attempts to freeze-dry the peppercorns, we finally succeeded in creating a unique product and a world rarity that won the Golden Fork award for its taste, the equivalent of an Oscar in the world of gastronomy.
