Voatsiperifery from Madagascar
A Highly Aromatic Wild Relative of Black Pepper
ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO, two French spice specialists, one in Brittany and one in Provence, called attention to a wild black-pepper relative with a distinctive aroma. Chefs became interested; a new market quickly sprang up. The pepper grew in the rainforests of Madagascar, where the vines climbed high up trees, sometimes more than 15 meters (50 feet). Madagascar is known for other spices, including cinnamon, turmeric, clove, and especially vanilla, but they originated elsewhere and voatsiperifery is indigenous. It has the peppery heat of black pepper together with a flavor of its own that has been described as earthy and woody. It has a clean freshness, too, something you might consider citrusy or piny. To me, the aroma recalls red cedar, which lingers fascinatingly in the aftertaste.