On Food and Cooking

to be more aromatic than Indian long
pepper
Cubeb or tailed pepper (P. cubeba). This
version of pepper consists of individual
berries and their tail-like stems. It is a
native of Indonesia, and was used in
European cooking in the 17th century; in
its home region it still flavors sauces,
liquors, lozenges, and cigarettes. In
addition to pungency, it has fresh,
eucalyptus, woody, spicy, and floral
aromatics.
Ashanti pepper (P. guineense). In West
Africa this spice lends nutmeg and
sassafras notes to various dishes.
Betel leaf (P. betle). The clove-scented
leaves of this Asian pepper species have
long been wrapped around other
ingredients into a bite-sized packet and
chewed. The Indian packet, supari,
includes lime, the betel nut from the
areca palm, and sometimes tobacco.