Mountain pepper leaf
마운틴 페퍼 잎
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Photo: Melburnian · CC BY 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)
Leaves from a tree in the mountains of Tasmania, Australia. Chew one and it's hot like pepper and makes your tongue numb. It's a pretty tree with red stems, and both the leaves and berries are used like pepper.
Flavor and aroma
- It has a peppery heat and a numbing feeling.
- The leaves smell like the Australian bush, dry bark and herbs.
- The berries are much hotter than the leaves.
Fun facts
- The hot compound is called polygodial.
- Both the leaves and berries have long been dried and used as spices.
- According to one chef's experiment, cooking makes the heat disappear and leaves a Mediterranean-herb-like taste.
In the kitchen
Cooking
- Use it to flavor meat and sauces.
Seasoning
- Grind the dried leaves and use them instead of pepper.
Other ideas
- It goes well with citrus and berry flavors, so it's also used to flavor drinks and desserts.
Goes well with
MeatBerriesCitrus
Tips
- To keep the heat, add it at the end of cooking.
Season
We're still checking the season. We'll add it once we find a source.
Details
- Korean name
- 마운틴 페퍼 잎
- English names
- mountain pepper, Tasmanian pepper leaf
- Scientific name
- Tasmannia lanceolata
- Family
- Winteraceae
- Genus
- Tasmannia
Show sources for this page
References for this herb
- Wikipedia
- 퀸즐랜드 농림부(Sultanbawa, 2016)
- Oregon State University
- Sustainable Gardening Australia
- Bulleen Art & Garden
Name and classification
Photo
Melburnian · CC BY 3.0 · Original file (Wikimedia Commons)