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Fully loaded cargo ships sailing for months across the sea transport sisal bags, which are often stored in damp and not very clean environments. The contents of these bags are often pepper, which is one of the most traded spices in the world. Pepper on ships gradually becomes musty, moldy, and reaches customers in a state that definitely does not make it a completely delicate spice. And that’s not to mention the long chain of companies and resellers who further pass on and store the pepper under unsuitable conditions. How to get tasty Kampot pepper and avoid this cycle?  In the name of preserving quality The taste of Kampot pepper is determined not only by the location it comes from but also by the way it is further processed. Each Kampot pepper is not of the same quality, which to some extent is also influenced by how it is handled after harvest. We at .pepper..field try to get the pepper to your table as quickly as possible and in absolutely top quality. This is where we fundamentally differ from large pepper farms and other distributors. 1. We immediately vacuum-pack the pepper in Cambodia on our Czech machines, which we provided to small family farmers thanks to the Czech Development Agency. Often, even the president of KPPA himself helps with the vacuum packing. 2. Carefully vacuum-packed 1kg bags of pepper are arranged in cardboard boxes, max 10 pieces per box, so they are not damaged by pressure. 3. We fly it by plane. It is extremely expensive, but unlike the competition, we have the pepper just a few days after harvest, quickly, safely, and most importantly without the risk of contamination by water. 4. Immediately after arrival in the Czech Republic, we put the pepper through a Czech sortex – this is a precise machine with laser optical mechanics that ensures we achieve perfect purity of 100% instead of 98%. We don’t know anyone in the world who is so precise and uses similar machines. 5. Then we immediately pack the pepper into our Czech packaging – honestly, by hand! And then it’s up to you – on each package we educate you to store Kampot pepper in dryness, coolness, darkness, and to close the tube and bag. That way, it will stay wonderfully fresh and delicious for up to 3 years and will taste just as if you had just bought it from one of our families in Cambodia!

If you go to some of the retail chains and look for the highest quality pepper there, we advise you to turn around and leave immediately. Standard spice sellers, who have at least 10 other types of spices on the shelf besides pepper, pack pepper into colorful packages, but you won't learn much about the quality of the pepper inside. So how to recognize truly quality peppercorns? Several important indicators For pepper from the Kampot region to earn the honor of reaching your table, it must meet several criteria that are monitored during harvest, selection directly at the farmers, and subsequently also during selection here with us. Moreover, there is a so-called Book of Specifications – a book that precisely defines the parameters that Kampot pepper must boast to ensure each grain achieves the highest quality and thus taste. The first important quality indicator is grain size. Small peppercorns reveal that growth did not occur under ideal conditions, which also reflects in the flavor quality. Grain size is not a standard for every type of pepper in the world, but for Kampot pepper, it tells you a lot about quality. The second important criterion is the weight and hardness of the fruit. It may be beautifully large, but when it weighs half as much as the other grains, it is clear that its core did not develop properly. Such a core can best be detected by immersion in water; in such a case, problematic (light, hollow) grains float to the surface and reveal their "color". :-) Organic or not? Last but not least, the quality of pepper also depends on chemical purity. We can proudly say that chemistry and our farmers are not friends and they prefer traditional and even more sustainable methods that leave no room for chemical fertilizers or insecticides. They fertilize primarily with cow manure, and everything undergoes regular inspections by certified agricultural organizations. Our pepper is therefore not only 100% organic but also gluten-free and pure – it contains no additives, pesticides, or grain residues, which is common practice for "cheap peppers". 100% selection – a word behind which anything can hide For us, it means that when you open a bag or a test tube, inside you will find 100% pepper only and no surprises like small stones, twigs, dust, or other impurities commonly found in chain store peppers. Achieving 100% quality is not easy – Kampot pepper must be hand-picked with tweezers by farmers in Cambodia and sent to us in the Czech Republic at about 98% purity. We then send it through a sortex machine, which detects even the last blade of grass and cleans the pepper to 100%. ☺

Pepper is an indispensable part of many world cuisines, including ours. However, even the most experienced local chefs and cooks might be surprised at how much true Kampot pepper can enhance the taste of traditional Czech dishes. It is, however, necessary to know how to work with pepper – especially with the exceptional pepper from Kampot – . Whole or crushed grains? It is generally known that while it is better to add most spices whole to slowly cooked sauces, when grilling or frying, it is better to apply coarsely crushed spices to meat or vegetables. This exact approach also applies to pepper. It is important to remember that  Kampot pepper due to its complex and strong aroma combined with pronounced spiciness, is better added to sauces in a form that will release its essential oils and flavor gradually. It is therefore good to put whole peppercorns into a cheesecloth and let them heat thoroughly in the sauce for a longer time so that through their hard shell they release their treasures slowly. However, if we want all the taste and scent of the pepper to quickly permeate the seasoning, it is good to take a Grinder and crush the pepper. Here it is also necessary to keep in mind that the finer the pepper is crushed, the more intense the flavor will be, and its spiciness will fully manifest. On the other hand, larger pieces of pepper will bring more exotic aromas and flavors to the dish. The right timing Proper timing is another very important factor. As mentioned before, whole grains release their aroma gradually, which means that for an intense flavor it is good to add whole peppercorns to the food as early as possible. In the case of crushed grains, it is ideal to add the peppercorns so that they heat up and release their essential oils but do not burn, because burnt fragments of pepper could become bitter and spoil the taste of the dish. When you add Kampot pepper directly on the plate, you will enjoy its aroma the most. We therefore recommend getting one of our  beautiful grinders, which are a lovely decoration for any dining table.

The Kampot province, from where we import Kampot pepper for you, is one of the most picturesque regions of Cambodia, which has managed to preserve its authentic character influenced not only by the Cambodians themselves but also by the colonizers who operated here in past centuries. It is a unique place you must visit if you want to experience the real Asia. Although it is a beautiful place, tourism has not yet changed it much, so here you can enjoy a holiday with truly minimal expenses that you will never forget. Why do we like Kampot so much? Besides the fact that we love the ever-present green plantations, we also have many favorite places here that we visit every year and that are directly connected with Kampot pepper. What could such pepper tourism include? The Bokor Mountains You definitely should not miss Bokor National Park, where you will witness the beauty that only the local nature can create. These are mountains that on one side cast a shadow over our plantations and provide them with a cozy refuge reminiscent of a jungle. If you head to these mountains, besides famous historical sites and beautiful old buildings, you will also see the Popokvil waterfall. At this unique place, you will merge not only with nature but also with the locals. It is a popular spot for meditating monks and locals who refresh themselves here during steamy days. Seafood served like nowhere else in the world Would you like to taste Kampot pepper like never before? Then we would recommend the fish markets in nearby Kep, where freshly caught shrimp are served along with fresh green Kampot pepper directly on the stalk and lightly grilled in a pan. A delicacy that we also invite our friends to try. The town itself is full of restaurants specializing in cooking with pepper, offering cooking classes or simply including it in their menus as a matter of course. P.S. Did you know that the unique Kampot climate and soil give a unique quality to several ingredients, not just  Kampot pepper? For example, the local salt is one of the tastiest and healthiest we have ever had on a plate. And you can find it with us too. Also excellent are other local spices and fresh herbs that farmers grow on their lands.

It has been more than a year since the coronavirus pandemic significantly slowed down the pace of humanity and exposed it to completely new situations. Who would have ever thought that children would not be able to go to school, visiting friends and family would be possible only in a very limited manner, and traveling would become a challenge full of complications and paperwork. Many enthusiastic travelers therefore prefer to stay at home, which, however, does not mean that their traveling hearts have stopped beating. Many of them are already dreaming of plans to explore corners of our planet once everything returns to normal. If you are one of them and Cambodia caught your eye, you have surely already read about all the notoriously well-known monuments that can be visited in this country. But we want to offer you a small taste of what you will not find in ordinary guides to Cambodia. Beloved Kampot This area in the southern part of Cambodia offers a unique taste of true Asia, where you can occasionally encounter subtle nuances left behind by the French during the colonial era. If you were to come here, we would gladly arrange a tour of one of our farms for you, led by our Cambodian team. Experience Kampot pepper authentically, as small families and we ourselves live it. Kampot is also full of pink fields and pepper plantations, above which rise the peaks of the beautiful Bokor Mountains full of caves, golden Buddhas, waterfalls, and ancient temples. In the town, you will also find our most popular restaurants using Kampot pepper in ways you have never experienced before. The Cardamom Mountains This unique area full of wild fauna and flora is located on the southwestern border of Cambodia with Thailand. It is a place where you can experience the rainforest in its true beauty. However, it is important to remember that the more beautiful such a place is, the more dangerous it can be. Therefore, venture into the dense jungle only with experienced guides who will take you to the most interesting spots, and if you are lucky, you will have fascinating encounters with the inhabitants of the rainforest. Just like in Kampot, here too we can introduce you to a sustainable community that will host you, accommodate you, and guide you safely through this beautiful nature. Mondulkiri Those of you who watched our online lecture last week for the travel festival Around the World know that Mondulkiri is a beautiful piece of jungle with freely living elephants. They live here to old age in a beautiful project that rescues injured elephants and gives them a chance for a dignified life full of freedom. So if you want to venture into the jungle with a bunch of bananas and crawl through the greenery until you spot huge elephant feet, write to us and we will gladly connect you with the organization Mondulkiri Project.

It is no secret that .pepper..field cooperates with renowned Czech restaurants, enabling them to cook with the best pepper in the world. We supply Kampot pepper to professionals who have Michelin stars to their name and who build unique menus on this pepper, mix infused drinks, and prepare unexpectedly refined desserts. In short, they constantly surprise their guests with flavors that their visitors have never had on their tongues before.  Partnerships with the very best There is already a whole range of restaurants with which we have shaken hands and established partnerships. Among them is, for example, Casa De Carli, led by Michelin chef Matteo De Carli, who is our ambassador and whose panna cotta with red Kampot pepper was praised by Czech Forbes as something absolutely exceptional. We also fondly remember MIURA restaurant in the Beskydy Mountains, where the renowned chef Michal Goth knows as much about pepper as few others. You can also find us in SOHO Restaurant, where we initially cooked together long-term, but now you can also buy our Kampot pepper there. You can also join these names with your own restaurant. You just need to become a member of our  pepper club and enjoy the benefits that this membership brings you. These include, for example, organizing special events that you can attend to learn more about how to create a unique menu and mix unexpectedly delicious drinks using Kampot pepper. You will have the opportunity for exclusive cooperation with us, which we prepare with restaurants, such as our very successful event with real Cambodians at the SIA restaurant, where each meal contributed to the community in the Cardamom Mountains. Want to pepper on a large scale? Especially for the needs of all chefs, we have also prepared  Package Kampot pepper at a good price for restaurants. In our offer, you will find kilogram packages of red, black, white Package pepper, as well as selected varieties such as lyophilized green and dark red Kampot pepper.

Would you like an extraordinary gourmet experience that you won't find just anywhere? That's exactly what we serve you with our exclusive nut butters .pepper..nuts, which we make from the kernels of the most delicious organic nuts. All our pepper butters are 100% vegan and gluten-free, making them the ideal base for a healthy breakfast that everyone will truly love without any guilt.  Inspiration from distant travels We have tuned each flavor to evoke the tastes of Cambodia as much as possible. To the nut base, which is made either from pistachios, roasted royal almonds, or cashew nuts, we add other selected ingredients. Among them, you will find, for example, exotic mango, delicate coconut, exceptional real Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, or freeze-dried raspberries with the best organic chocolate made from quality cocoa beans. However, the most important ingredient is Kampot pepper. Specifically, for the nut butters, the delicious red pepper fits best due to its distinctive fruity aroma. With its delicately sweet and intense flavor, it harmonizes perfectly with all the added ingredients. Not only the best for breakfast There are several ways to enjoy our nut butters to the fullest. As mentioned, they are a great addition to breakfast. They enhance its nutritional value and enrich the usual taste. Butters can be added to pancakes, porridges, spread on sweet pastries, or enjoyed with fruit. For example, the combination with figs is unexpectedly delicious! Nut butters can also be used in the preparation and baking of desserts. One example is dumplings made from curd dough filled with nut butter. The preparation process is incredibly simple, and the result is absolutely fantastic. However, imagination knows no bounds, and you can add nut butter to doughs, creams, heat-treat fruit on it, or use it as a sweet finishing touch on a freshly baked cake. Personally, however, we like our butter best just as it is, alone, on a spoon, and sometimes secretly from the pantry to improve our mood. Because that's exactly what our nut butters with Kampot pepper can do. 

Spring is slowly but surely knocking on the door, and along with it begins the period of general cleaning, which sweeps through all rooms from the basement to the chimney. However, spring is also a great opportunity to tidy up the purely personal temple that is our body. And why not use the power of pepper for that? Piperine arranges many things Pepper is one of the most widespread spices, but who would have thought that it can work magic in the intestines of our body in a far more interesting way than on our tongue. Peppercorns owe this mainly to their wrinkled skin, which contains a significant amount of a substance called piperine. It is this substance that is responsible for the sharp pungent taste of pepper and its characteristic aroma. After consuming pepper, piperine is released into the body, where it stimulates the mucous membranes but primarily functions as a strong antioxidant. It alleviates the effects of free radicals and prevents the negative impacts of oxidative stress. This stress affects cells in the human body and accelerates their aging, causing an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, which in the worst-case scenario can lead to the development of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, or stroke. How to supplement necessary vitamins and trace elements with pepper? By consuming piperine contained in pepper, you can cleanse your body and rid it of harmful substances. At the same time, you can also increase the amount of effective substances that your body will better absorb. Piperine significantly enhances our body's ability to absorb substances such as selenium, vitamins B and C, coenzyme Q10, beta-carotene, and others. Interestingly, pepper has been used for centuries by healers together with turmeric. It strengthens the effects of curcumin contained in turmeric — by up to a thousand percent. Curcumin boasts many beneficial effects on human health, but it is primarily a very strong antioxidant that can also drive pain out of your body. So if you decide to use pepper during your body's cleansing, don't forget to add a bit of turmeric as well. Keep in mind that these are beneficial health benefits of pepper, not medical effects. In case of real health problems, please consult your doctor.

As you probably already know, pepper can be cleverly combined with a whole range of interesting ingredients that you would never have dreamed of. You may have already tried adding a pinch of pepper to ice cream or coffee. But how about trying to combine hot pepper with an even sharper gin? Although this combination may seem like a challenge only for the bravest, the opposite is true. Pepper gin will be loved by every fan of exotic flavors. True gin with a touch of exoticism If you have ever tasted gin, you have certainly noticed primarily the taste of its most important ingredient, which is juniper. However, each producer has a different recipe that gives the gin a variety of flavor tones. Our gin with Kampot pepper is a small extract of everything we love about Cambodia. In a special edition that contains only 999 bottles, you will find subtle tones of mango, coriander, complemented by citrus, ginger, ginseng, and lemongrass. Crowning it all is Kampot green pepper, which was used in the production of the gin for the very first time. We ourselves also worked on our first po(ck)gin We prepared this gin for you in collaboration  with the small craft distillery  Landcraft. These guys are incredible experimenters who see every fruit as a liquefiable extract of happiness. With their help, we put together a real unique product that we are incredibly proud of and that will please everyone. Even Cambodians! We really enjoyed the production process ourselves, squeezing fresh mango and tasting countless combinations of herbs and infusions until it was just right. Not only does our gin taste great on its own, but you can also mix an excellent drink from it. The best accompaniments are mango tonic or mango juice. During preparation, add a few berries of our  red Kampot pepper into the glass, pour in a suitable amount of gin, and finally add what is called a brake, meaning one of the above-mentioned non-alcoholic drinks. You will see that our gin will bring you a completely new taste experience that cannot be compared to any other similar drink!

How exciting the combination of pepper and sweet desserts can be can be read not only in one of our articles, but you can also easily convince your own taste buds. But how about trying an unconventional combination of Kampot pepper with a traditional product in the form of homemade honey? Pepper and honey have beneficial effects on human health A precious treasure from the hive, just like pepper, helps with digestive disorders, heals mucous membranes, stimulates intestinal activity, and helps to calm down. It has beneficial effects on calming the mind and also acts antibacterial and as a quick disinfectant. In short, it has many similar effects as pepper. However, it is good to use both when you feel, as the saying goes, that something is coming on you. Just take honey, add preferably red Kampot pepper and then flavor your tea or milk with this delicacy. The resulting mixture can also be used in the kitchen A steak marinated in a sauce with added pepper honey gets an unprecedented flavor – and the same applies to a salad, for which you can prepare a tasty dressing from the golden treasure with crushed pieces of pepper. However, keep in mind that such quality pepper as ours from the Kampot region needs to be combined with quality honey. Do not look for good pepper or quality honey in the usual supermarket. Just as we look for the best peppercorns directly from Kampot farmers for you, you should also make an effort and find a local honey producer and buy honey directly from them. The quality of their honey will most likely far exceed the quality of honey available in a regular store. Moreover, you will support the local economy and the person who produces honey with pure love, often without the prospect of large profits.

The delicacy of cocoa beans from South America combined with a hint of spicy flavor from Cambodia, this is exactly how the exquisite chocolates we prepare for you in cooperation with the HERUFEK chocolate manufactory can be described. We share not only your passion for perfect tastes but also the philosophy of helping people on the other side of the planet through our work. Fair trade with chocolate-pepper flavor If you browse through our assortment, you will definitely not miss the chocolates with ground peppercorns. We have prepared this delicacy for you together with Jitka and Michal Herůffek, who have been dedicated to making chocolate treats for almost ten years. Despite initial difficulties in finding the right beans, they eventually managed to discover the true cocoa treasure from Belize, Guatemala, and also the Dominican Republic. Just like us, the Herůffeks source cocoa beans directly from local farmers, which they then process in their chocolate manufactory in Čejč, South Moravia. The idea to combine our Kampot pepper with chocolate had been in our minds for a long time, and when we learned about the Herůffeks and their journey, we didn’t hesitate for a second. Red pepper with chocolate is a combination that works perfectly The Herůffeks are among those producers who definitely aren’t afraid of interesting experiments, so it was not difficult at all to agree on mutual cooperation, which resulted in three different types of delicate chocolates. The chocolates are so fantastic on the first tasting that we literally made them in the blink of an eye. Dark chocolate in combination with red Kampot pepper brings with every broken piece a trip into the deep exotic jungle among wild pepper vines and cocoa trees. Milk chocolate with pepper reminds us with its delicacy how sweet life can be. But what kind of life would it be without a little excitement? Therefore, the softness of this chocolate is complemented by red pepper, which unexpectedly enriches the milky pleasure with refined, rich tones of pepper. The grand finale is represented by white chocolate . After placing a piece of white chocolate in your mouth, a small symphony of sweet tones unfolds, complemented by fruity sharp peppery nuances that you definitely won't find in ordinary chocolate. And a little secret - with us, this white chocolate won! Have you tried it yet? Which one is your favorite? :-)

“We are a sustainable e-shop,” a mantra you will hear today from every second seller. Many of them, however, only take advantage of this trendy phenomenon, and their concern for the planet is probably based only on the fact that they send invoices electronically rather than printed on paper.  How did the certificate with the green leaf come about? However, if you are looking for an e-shop that truly takes sustainability seriously, the new domestic tool Sustainable E-shop will surely come in handy. It is backed by the product search engine Heureka, Visa, Komerční banka, and the Association of Social Responsibility, which awarded us second place in the most competitive Business category at the recent SDG awards. For .pepper..field, sustainability is one of the cornerstones, and that means only one thing. Our project became one of the first certified e-shops thanks to our tireless approach and new ideas in the field of sustainability. Moreover, we were asked to help set the criteria for others who want to obtain the Sustainable E-shop certificate in the future! So – in cooperation with other Czech sustainability giants like Econea and Freshlabels – we created a questionnaire that any Czech e-shop can fill out and join our group.  Sustainable E-shop as a help for customers Customers thus get another tool that can help them very easily and quickly find out which e-shop meets their ideas of sustainability. The green sticker with three leaves will reveal where shopping truly makes sense and has an impact on our planet. In our case, it means not only an ecological way of producing Package pepper, cooperation with other local producers in our area, but also support for farmers in distant Kampot who grow the best pepper in the world for us, for which we give them a fair and adequate reward, which may not be a given in the case of other traders. Because our planet does not make distinctions. We are all here together. We are glad that you, our customers, are moving towards sustainability just like we are and help us at least a little to fulfill the vision of treating our planet the way it truly deserves. After all, we only have one home, so let's cherish it together a little! By the way, see for yourself where you can find certified sustainable e-shops.

In your kitchen, you surely have a whole range of ingredients whose origin you definitely do not know. It is clear that nowadays it is not possible to buy all ingredients from local sources, from known farmers and growers, but if you cook with ingredients that were put into your hands by those who grew or raised them themselves, believe that it will be much better to cook with such ingredients and the food will taste all the more delicious to you. In the name of direct trade, you can also directly influence many things The moment you go to farmers' markets and buy, for example, potatoes, in most cases you are making what is called direct trade. This term means purchasing an ingredient directly from the source who grew or raised that ingredient. And this is exactly how we buy pepper here at  .pepper..field from farmers in Cambodia.  There are several reasons why we decided to take this path. The most important is that thanks to this we have a perfect overview of quality and can guarantee that the peppercorns we offer are truly the best that the Kampot plantations have to offer. For direct sales, a fair reward The second equally important aspect for us is finance. Not the money that goes to us, but rather the money paid to the farmers from whom we buy the pepper. Only through direct contact with them do we have the certainty that they receive an adequate financial reward for their effort, without middlemen taking their percentage. Last but not least, it is very important for us to know from whom we obtain the pepper. We know the stories and names of the people who go out to their plantations every day to take care of the peppercorns. We know their wives and children and also their dreams. We try to fulfill those dreams, make their lives better, and bring the same smile to their faces that we have when we taste their pepper.  How do you like direct trade? ☺ We love it very much!

In the morning, they get up and head out to their pepper plantation bathed in sunlight. The sun rays, filtering through the leaves of the pepper vines, tickle the Cambodian farmers' faces until evening, when it's time to go back home. This scenario repeats day after day until it's time to harvest and dry the peppercorns, followed by selling the crop. For some farmers, this is a joyful final touch to their work, for others, a very demanding task that determines the future of their entire family. Why is it difficult for some farmers to sell their pepper, even though there is demand for it on the market? It might seem that farmers have no problem selling pepper of the quality that Kampot has. Unfortunately, the opposite is true in some cases, caused by several factors. The first stems from the problematic search for buyers. Many farms are located in remote places where traders do not want to travel – so farmers have to go to the traders. If they actually find one, a second problem arises, which is the language barrier.  Kampot pepper is primarily an export item, which means it is purchased by foreign traders who mostly do not speak Khmer. Therefore, communication between a small farmer and a foreign trader is often very problematic. We know which farmers need the most help However, the game is not won even at the moment when both trading partners agree. The production of some farms is so small that big traders simply are not interested. Buying from such a farm is not profitable for them as they would like. Farmers often have no choice but to sell their crop below price to at least get some financial reward for their work. And that is a great shame because pepper from such farmers is often far higher quality than pepper from large farms usually owned by foreigners, who see them only as a source of finance, to which the entire production is subordinated. We have decided to find our own way to avoid such pepper, to find our own and at the same time help the locals. We try to lend a hand precisely to those family farmers who are smaller, do not speak English, find it difficult to travel to the city, and get their pepper to the market. But these are exactly the families who know the surroundings of Kampot as perfectly as no one else. Also its exceptional soil, walked on for generations. And it is thanks to them that we can offer you pepper that has no equal in the world. 

February 14th is traditionally marked as the holiday of all lovers, who on this day reveal their feelings to each other and exchange various gifts. As the saying goes, love goes through the stomach, so if you really want to prove to your beloved how much you love her, we have an original way for you.  Love wears a deep red color There is no better declaration of love than cooking the perfect meal with the best pepper in the world. But beware, it wouldn't be the right Valentine's Day if it wasn't about a special kind of deep crimson pepper with fiery tones matching the passion of your love. Dark red pepper from Kampot is a specialty and, without exaggeration, can be compared to a selection of grapes. The peppercorns are harvested at the moment when the pepper is perfectly ripe. After harvesting and careful selection of the right grains, the fruits are dried in the sun, where they acquire their characteristic reddish-brown pattern. This is a carefully selected collection of the best berries of red Kampot pepper. Aroma of dried fruit and incense sticks. However, it surprises with its wide range of uses Just like the variegated color, their taste is unmistakable, with hints of dried cranberries, floral notes, and strong fruitiness. These grains are perfect for creamy sauces, to which they add the right sharpness while creating a very interesting mosaic. They also go well with baked and smoked fish and white wine. We also tried it with seafood and vegetables, and compared to classic red Kampot pepper, we were surprised by the intensified taste and aroma. So why not prepare a perfect menu for Valentine's Day that you both will enjoy by the flickering light of candles that set the right atmosphere. Thanks to its qualities, the pepper will pleasantly stimulate your blood flow, which is never a bad thing on a Valentine's evening. 

With a box of chocolates or flowers, you can never go wrong, but at the same time, these are not very original Valentine's gifts... They rather give off a sense of panic, as if they were bought in a department store half an hour before a romantic date. If you want to avoid such clichés this year and be truly original, you can give a piece of sunny Cambodia in a gift Package, which clearly says what you feel for the other person. With a pepper set, you give the chance to create the best meal Pepper from the Kampot region, rightfully considered the best pepper in the world, is an ideal gift for all cooking lovers and those who appreciate unusual flavor notes that add the perfect zest to food. But why give just pepper when you can delight your significant other with a stylish grinder? With it, you can easily freshly grind, for example, our new product in the form of  dark red pepper, which is regarded as a true unique among peppercorns. This is precisely our hot new item, an ideal gift for Valentine's Day. Simply a gift with balls!  But what to do if your partner isn't much into cooking? In that case, you can be the one who works magic and serve a meal spiced with a touch of exotic flavors during a romantic candlelit dinner. As they say, love goes through the stomach. For dessert, you can serve your other half refined flavors hidden in our delicate  nut butters and unique delicate  chocolates. And the right mood will be ensured by some of our  pepper alcohols, which contain only the highest quality ingredients. In short, a piece of distant Asia in a single glass. And what else? As is well known, pepper can stimulate blood circulation in the body and thus warm it up. If you enjoy a menu based on Kampot pepper, believe us, you definitely won't want to go to sleep after such a feast. Furthermore, quality pepper is known as an aphrodisiac that causes physical desire. So how about giving it a try? ☺

Sustainability is a major topic and actually the absolute core of what we do, so whether you get any product offered by us in your hands, you can be sure that it contains Kampot pepper grown in a sustainable way. Moreover, it is always processed sustainably further. What does this mean in our case? Environmental Friendliness Every peppercorn from .pepper..field bathed in the rays of the Cambodian sun, absorbed the moisture of the Kampot jungles, and at the moment it was ready for harvest, it was taken by a farmer who cultivated it in the same way as generations of farmers before him. That is, without any chemical fertilizers or pesticides against pests – grown completely sustainably, in an undisturbed environment, the soil is not degraded and the water is not contaminated, no jungles are cut down, and no greenhouse gases escape into the air. Recyclable Packaging and Natural Materials We continue this natural way of growing pepper here in Prague as well. We try to pack all the grains into packaging that is easily biodegradable or recyclable for nature, so we can close their cycle into a loop. Ideally, when  you use our beautiful packaging again and again for any household use. Therefore, we mainly work with glass and wood.  Unfortunately, some of our products are still packed in plastic bags, which is mainly because there are not many alternatives on the market yet that would meet strict hygienic criteria and our demands for preserving pepper at maximum freshness. However, we try to choose from available options one that burdens the environment as little as possible and is fully recyclable and reusable. At the same time, by buying  quality pepper, a pinch is always enough and the food is seasoned to perfection – the smaller the amount, the less packaging material is consumed! 100% Fair Cooperation and Purchase at a Fair Price The last sustainable path we love most of all is primarily the entire essence of our project, which is based on fair trade, direct trade, and help. We constantly try to teach, educate, and assist our farmers' families with all processes so that they can permanently always sell their Kampot pepper at a fair price, even if we are not helping them at the moment. This is our path to sustainability, which we try to pass on to our customers as well.

If you ever travel to the Cambodian region of Kampot, you will definitely come across strange plantations covered with palm leaves, which may resemble domestic hop fields. As you probably suspect, these are plantations of black pepper, which, thanks to favorable climatic conditions and a traditional approach to its cultivation, produce the best peppercorns in the world right here. They are the main livelihood of about a few hundred local farmers, who come to the plantations every day under the sunlight to take care of their black gold, as the locals call their pepper. Farmers have to deal with several natural elements at once It is precisely the sharp sun rays that are the reason why individual pepper vines are covered with palm leaves, which protect them from scorching. This is also taken care of by the shields of the Bokor Mountains, which provide much-needed shade.  However, the reason why farmers have their hands full every day with their plantations is not the sun, but primarily pests. There are several ways to combat them. The less responsible ones use chemical pesticides, but you will not encounter their pepper with us. Our pepper comes only from farms that deal with pests using traditional natural methods. These are also supplemented by manure and guano obtained from caves inhabited by bats, which nourish the plants in the right way. There is not a day when farmers do not check all the grains from the pepper plantations The harvest season comes between February and May. During this time, the hardest work begins, when farmers manually pick individual clusters of Kampot peppercorns, which they then process further. The processing procedure is no less demanding; the grains must be separated from the stem, briefly boiled, and then spread out on mats to dry in the sun, during which they acquire their characteristic coloring. Outside the harvest season, farmers also enjoy a lot of work, mainly planting or daily checking of the grains – for example, red Kampot pepper is picked only from fully ripe berries, so a whole day of hard work might bring you just a small cup of pepper. After harvesting, each grain is carefully sorted with tweezers (due to their size), packed, and shipped. Read about how even the Package itself can be demanding! Therefore, pepper cultivation is very labor-intensive work, leaving the neck sunburned and hands full of calluses. Historically, farmers were not adequately rewarded for their hard work. And this is exactly what we at .pepper..field are trying to change. 

The history of pepper cultivation and trade is rich, full of adventure, voyages to unknown lands, and the construction of magnificent palaces with money earned from trading peppercorns. The history associated with pepper cultivation in the Kampot region is no less significant. The tradition of pepper cultivation in Cambodia dates back to our Middle Ages Pepper has been cultivated in Cambodia since the time of the Khmer Empire, which represents a tradition reaching deep into the era when the Přemyslid dynasty ruled our lands. The very first detailed description of pepper cultivation in the Kampot region however, dates back to the 13th century. During this period, a Chinese envoy named Zhou Daguan arrived in the territory of present-day Kampot, who dedicated part of his writings specifically to the methods of pepper cultivation by the ancient Khmers and their customs. Thanks to this, his work remains one of the main sources of information about the culture of the Khmer Empire.  Although trade between the Old Continent and Far Asia was in full swing already in the 16th century, Europeans discovered the uniqueness of Kampot's black gold much later. This happened in the 19th century when a port was built in Kampot, where trading ships from all over the world arrived. During this era, the production of Kampot pepper intensified, only for the plantations to be soon reduced to ashes. Territorial disputes destroyed the pepper fields This occurred during wars between the Sultanate of Aceh and the Dutch, who originally came to the area solely for trade. However, the Dutch eventually brought destruction and fragmentation to the sultanate. Its leader, as a reward, ordered the plantations to be burned so they would not fall into the hands of Dutch enemies. What is typical for the tradition of pepper cultivation in Kampot, however, is its ability to rise from the ashes. This was achieved even after the Aceh wars, so that by the mid-20th century, pepper from this region became the dominant spice in European markets. In 1928, most of the pepper used in France came precisely from this area, and by the 1960s, production had reached a staggering 8,000 tons per year. The brutal political regime tried to undermine not only the will but also the traditions As is often the case, after rapid growth, a steep decline followed. This time it was brought about by the Khmer Rouge, who decimated the entire country in an unprecedented way. The production of 8,000 tons suddenly shrank to a mere 4 tons annually, and local farmers, in an effort to prevent famine, focused primarily on rice cultivation. Now the tradition of pepper cultivation in this region is once again being revived, and we at .pepper..field are grateful to be part of its rebirth. Since 2018, when we began fair business and cooperation in Cambodia, many things have improved. We are glad to be part of it and to watch how this beautiful country is opening up to the world once again.

If you are our customers, or if you are considering bringing a small piece of Cambodia into your kitchen, rest assured that this purchase will not only make us happy but, above all, support the families of farmers living in the Cambodian Kampot region, where the pepper we offer is grown. Helping is necessary – but effective These people wake up every day to a reality significantly different from what we are used to in our modern European environment. Although many things here do not work as they should, the vast majority of us at least have the security of a social and healthcare safety net that, so to speak, has our backs and can help us when things are at their worst. Unfortunately, nothing like that exists in Cambodia. The entire country is still recovering from a difficult past, and every local family must take care of themselves because no one else will do it for them. Inaccessible medical care, a very limited education system, and a weak labor market are reasons why life here is significantly different from ours. We could learn a lot from the values of Cambodians Nevertheless, life among the jungles and pepper plantations is purer and perhaps even happier. If you wanted to find a person in Cambodia who is not positive and does not constantly smile from ear to ear, you would really search for a long time. These people have learned to make great wealth from their little and to take every little thing as an opportunity for joy. And this is exactly why we want to establish a trade exchange between us Europeans and the positive Cambodians. We Europeans send a piece of our Western wealth to Cambodia, for which local farmers can afford healthcare and send their children to school. In return, they will scent our kitchens with unique Kampot pepper and teach us that the greatest wealth is not hidden in bank accounts but in our hearts and in the way we view the world around us.