Category: Uncategorized

This is a very difficult time and it looks like we are going to be challenged for some time to come. The restaurant,hospitality and many other industries have been devastated by the pandemic. We all know that this will not last forever but we still have a hard road ahead.

The farmers in Cambodia and farmers around the world are suffering as well. Kampot Pepper farmers are losing ground to the large growers that are no longer buying the pepper but buying the farms. Last year almost one quarter of the smallest growers (under ¾ acre) either lost or sold their farms or abandoned the business because they cannot sell their pepper. During the first few months of the pandemic sales evaporated. They have begun to pick up but not at normal levels. We need to help save and restore this ancient farming system.” 

We have come up with a COVID-19 Response Plan and although our main online focus has been to charities and non-profits we have opened up our online, community-based distribution system to anyone effected by COVID-19.

During the pandemic we have increased the community partner share from 35% to 50%. This is our way of helping out in this difficult time.

So please open your own store by clicking here and we will create a custom, branded store for you within a couple of days. If you have a logo or want to make one please email it to us and the Thank You text you want at the top of your store.

We know that this is not the same as regular employment earnings but it can add up. If you had 100 friends get ten friends each to purchase their pepper from your store that could add up to $15,000.00 over one year. Social impact purchasing works.

Be well, be safe.

Here’s a screen shot of the top section of a custom store with logo and Thank You message:

Welcome to the King of Spice site. Cambodia is a remarkable country with a rich, and in modern times, tragic history. Angkor Wat is certainly the most well known living monument in Southeast Asia, if not the world. Many consider Angkor the eight wonder of the world. Of the seven classical wonders of the world only the Great Pyramid of Giza exists to this day. Angkor Wat is an active temple, not just an archeological monument.

There is another wonder of the world from Cambodia, at least from a culinary perspective, and that is Kampot pepper. If you have never tasted the exquisite yet subtle flavour of this ‘king of kings’ then you have something to look forward to.

I have always loved pepper, freshly ground pepper is my favourite spice. Pepper has been called the ‘King of Spice’ and centuries ago when introduced to Europe from Asia it was referred to as ‘Black Gold’. My first experience of the delight of Kampot pepper was when I went to Kep, a small seaside community on the Gulf of Thailand, famous for its crab market. I had been told about Kimly Restaurant and that it served some of the best seafood in Southeast Asia. I was not disappointed. This began my journey into the world of Kampot pepper.

In 2012 I brought back a half a kilo of Kampot pepper and began to use it in my cooking as well as freshly ground on the table. Over the next few years I continued to bring back black, then the red and white peppercorns. I gifted most of the pepper to friends and family Last year I decided to try and experiment and brought back six kilos and held a fundraiser for a local foundation of which I am a member and it was so successful that…. the light went on. People love Kampot pepper. So I decided to make it available on the net.

A culinary note: The chef at Kimly told me of a little trick he uses and that is prior to preparing his food for the day he takes a small number of peppercorns and pours hot water over them and let’s them sit. He then uses the liquid and the softened peppercorns in his sauces and his pepper dishes. I tried it with sauteed vegetables, a beef stew and my favourite chicken soup recipe. WOW! What flavour!