How to recognize the quality of pepper? Ask for the batch number, the so-called Lot number

As you surely know, Kampot pepper is considered the best pepper in the world due to its unique taste. However, this does not mean that all purchased pepper from this area will always reach the highest quality. Its quality is significantly influenced by freshness. How do you recognize that the purchased pepper is truly fresh? This is what the so-called batch number, also known as the Lot number, is for. This number reveals not only who grew your pepper but mainly when it was grown, and thus whether you are buying truly fresh and authentic Cambodian taste. It often happens that you buy Kampot pepper with a lot number that is 4 years old, which dramatically affects the quality.

What is the Lot number for?

Just like every car has a batch number and serial number that together form the vehicle's identification number, Kampot pepper also has such an identification number. And just like other products that can be easily confused and whose quality needs to be monitored, it is necessary to record the journey of Kampot pepper to the final consumer, that is, to you.

The batch number allows us to easily conduct regular quality checks on Kampot pepper, calculate consumption data, and monitor its production. For all our customers, it is a unique identifier they can use when examining the delivered Kampot pepper – to make sure everything is in order.

In short – the Lot number takes you all the way back to the very beginning. To Cambodia. To the Kampot province. To our farming families hidden behind our Lot number. ☺

How to understand the Lot number

The first part of the Lot number changes continuously with each harvest. It also serves as an identifier of when the pepper was grown and how fresh it is. Because we import pepper to Europe several times a year, you can be sure that the Lot number on our pepper always indicates the current harvest of the given year. For example – if your bag says B21, then your Kampot pepper was harvested that year. ☺

The next part of the Lot number remains unchanged. According to it, you can determine that the Kampot pepper really comes from farms under .pepper..field. In our case, you can verify that we source pepper from truly small, local growers whose pepper reaches the highest quality – and also how many there are. Everything is clearly monitored by KPPA, the largest organization under which all Kampot pepper production falls. Check out our number C-043.

Unfortunately, not all producers feel the need to offer their customers only the best, so it can happen that their bags contain pepper harvested even four years ago. This then strongly reflects on the quality of the contained pepper, which loses its flavor intensity, may become musty, and have other problems that make it subsequently inedible.

The Lot number should always be clearly visible on the packaging

In our case, you will find it on the back of the bags near the certifications, which are another sign that Kampot pepper you find with us is a true original, the champagne among peppers, which tastes exceptional and helps where needed.