Long pepper - like black pepper, only hotter

Long pepper - Piper longum or Piper retrofractum - has been used in cooking for about as long as the Piper nigrum we all have in our pepper grinders. It has a similar taste to black pepper, only it is spicier, with more aromatic qualities.

But while black pepper remains popular today, long pepper seems to have fallen out of favour, although it is still a common ingredient in India.

Perhaps because it is relatively rare, long pepper is much more expensive than black pepper.

Long pepper can be ground (although you should label it so it's not mistaken for black pepper), toasted and ground with other spices to make a spice blend or paste, or used whole.

Its flavour complements meats and cheese, and it is delicious in braises and stews.