logo
Why don't we pay as much attention to the quality of pepper as salt and oil?

Why don't we pay as much attention to the quality of pepper as salt and oil?

The country's best known pepper-growing region is seven hours away from Memot, in Kampo, 'which grows what a lot of people call the champagne of pepper', says Gardiner, who adds that Memot holds its own. 'The soil there is this rich red volcanic stuff, the weather's hot and humid all year. It's perfect for growing punchy, aromatic peppercorns.'
Pep's pepper is complex, gloriously aromatic and earthy. It has also caught the attention of some restaurants: Melbourne's Embla, Hope St Radio and Residence at the Potter Museum, and Continental Deli Bar Bistro in Sydney. Chefs Danielle Alvarez, Rosheen Kaul, Raph Rashid, Mitch Orr and Analiese Gregory are also fans.
Pep, which is sold from a number of Aussie specialty grocer s around the country, comes in a grinder and refill packs. Pep also just launched a fragrance called Pepfume, made with black pepper oil. What does it smell like? It's got hints of pepper, of course.
Some other interesting peppers to buy
Global pepper
Aussie spice pioneer Herbie's Spices sells a number of peppers, including two centre-long pepper spikes from Indonesia, super grade white peppercorns harvested in India and, for the connoisseur, the impressive Pepperer's Guild Spice Kit, featuring 12 varieties, for $125.
Australian-grown pepper
Donna Campagnolo is behind L & L Pepperfarms. Based in Silkwood, in tropical North Queensland, she hand-tends, harvests and sun-dries her robust pepper. Aussie Pepper sells Campagnolo's pepper, too.
Wild native mountain pepper
The sweet profile of Tasmanian mountain pepper is an alternative to black pepper. It's also much punchier and presents a herbal profile. Tasmanian Pepper Co has 3500 native trees. It sells peppercorns and leaf and sells them ground, including the leaf, and mixed with salt.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ASX slides; Gold and real estate stocks fall
ASX slides; Gold and real estate stocks fall

The Age

timean hour ago

  • The Age

ASX slides; Gold and real estate stocks fall

Welcome to your five-minute recap of the trading day. The numbers Gold stocks fell sharply and the Australian sharemarket closed lower on Wednesday, following the Reserve Bank's surprise decision on Tuesday to hold interest rates steady, a move that caught many traders and economists off guard. Investors were also spooked by US President Donald Trump's latest salvo in his unfolding tariff war. The S&P/ASX 200 sank 52.10 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 8538.6, led by falls in the real estate sector, which was down 1.7 per cent. Only four of 11 sectors finished in the green. The lifters Energy shares lifted on Wednesday, led by Woodside (up 0.7 per cent) and Ampol (2.9 per cent higher). Santos closed flat. Of the big four banks, only Westpac closed higher at 0.7 per cent. The utilities sector also lifted as Origin Energy gained 1.7 per cent and Meridian by 0.7 per cent. The sector performed the best out of the 11 on the index, gaining 1.1 per cent across the session. The laggards

Sydney rental crisis: Sydney rents for houses and unis hit record highs in June quarter
Sydney rental crisis: Sydney rents for houses and unis hit record highs in June quarter

Sydney Morning Herald

time2 hours ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney rental crisis: Sydney rents for houses and unis hit record highs in June quarter

That was followed by the outer west and Blue Mountains, where house rents were up 6.7 per cent to $640 a week. The outer south-west recorded the strongest rental growth for units – up 7.4 per cent to $520 a week. That was followed by other far-flung and more affordable regions, including the Central Coast (up 5.8 per cent) and Blacktown (up 5.6 per cent). Powell said traditionally affordable pockets were recording stronger rates of rental growth. 'Tenants are shifting property types and locations. They're looking for those pockets of affordability, and they're difficult to find in Sydney when that affordability ceiling has been reached.' Centre for Independent Studies chief economist Dr Peter Tulip said the housing affordability issue was creating growing divisions within society. 'Those that have housing are doing well and those that do not are doing badly, and it's increasing inequality,' he said. 'At the bottom of the market, it's increasing rental stress that's seriously exacerbating poverty and homelessness.' Tulip said some Australians will be permanently locked out of home ownership. 'Home ownership has been called an aspiration in Australian culture and those dreams are being crushed. Many young people are understandably bitter and angry about this.' Loading He said the productivity of the economy was being increasingly harmed as dynamic workers left the city in favour of other capital cities or moved further out. 'Sydney is exporting its housing shortage to the rest of the country,' he said. 'People live with their parents, have two-hour commutes or live in overcrowded houses, which are all indicators of worsening living standards. Some of them show up in the statistics, many of them don't.' Tenants' Union of NSW chief executive Leo Patterson Ross said some tenants were having to compromise on essentials such as food and healthcare. 'We routinely hear people putting off things that aren't covered by Medicare like dentistry that they know they really need, but at the end of the day, rent can't wait,' he said. 'There's still a cumulative increase [in rents] year-on-year. It's not slowing down, it would be some relief for figures to go backwards. We're still seeing rent hikes that are above people's wages and that puts pressure on the household budget.' Renter Alex Colman, 40, has found a more affordable property in North Sydney. Credit: Wolter Peeters Renter Alex Colman, 40, said he was fortunate to have found a two-bedroom unit in North Sydney that he can comfortably afford. He previously lived in a one-bedroom unit, also in North Sydney, that was cheaper, but it had significant mould and substandard living conditions. 'The mould was terrible,' the director of IT company CICT Solutions said. 'We had to take everything out of the cupboards, disinfect and clean. 'When we first moved in, we had so many issues with the unit to begin with. The previous tenants had dogs, and it stunk of wet carpet and dog.' Colman and his girlfriend Jennifer Diaz previously lived in a one-bedroom unit. Credit: Wolter Peeters Before that, Colman lived in a two-bedroom unit in Zetland, where his rent was much higher. Little Real Estate national manager Stephen Erickson said once-affordable neighbourhoods are now becoming unaffordable. 'You get better value for money with cost of living … if you go three or four suburbs out,' he said.

If we go to war, submarines come too: How US could demand AUKUS changes
If we go to war, submarines come too: How US could demand AUKUS changes

The Age

time2 hours ago

  • The Age

If we go to war, submarines come too: How US could demand AUKUS changes

Australia is facing the prospect of a Trump administration review demanding it pay more for submarines under the $368 billion AUKUS pact and guarantee the boats support the US in a conflict over Taiwan. Sources familiar with the review by Trump's Undersecretary of Defence, Elbridge Colby, believe he intends to urge major changes to the program before Australia can get the nuclear submarines it has been promised. The review puts Anthony Albanese in a politically difficult position as the prime minister prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during a six-day trip to China next week. But the Trump administration is not united behind Colby's thinking, according to former aides, with foreign policy a major sticking point in the Republican Party. The review from Colby, who works for the Pentagon and is sceptical of selling US submarines to Australia, blindsided Marco Rubio's State Department when it was revealed in press reports last month. The State Department sent its diplomats a message: 'We are not aware of a review of the AUKUS agreement'. Interviews with three Australian sources with direct knowledge of the AUKUS review and American defence experts who worked on the submarine project believe the probe will recommend amending rather than scrapping the deal brokered by former leaders Joe Biden, Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson. Two Australian officials said one option for Colby was seeking more money for the US submarine industry, which Australia is already contributing $4.7 billion towards. Two other Australian sources, one in the political establishment and one in defence who have both spoken to Colby, said he believed Australia should give a public declaration or private guarantee that US-made nuclear submarines would be used in a possible conflict with China. Colby is on record as saying the US is not building enough Virginia-class subs for its own needs, even before selling Australia a minimum of three from 2030.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store