When scientists look beneath the skin of Kampot pepper: the secret of drying red pepper

Kampot Pepper has literally risen from the ashes in recent years and is once again attracting the attention of the whole world. Not only professional chefs but also enthusiastic amateur lovers of refined tastes have been captivated, as well as scientists from the Technological Institute in Cambodia. Several experts from the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology have looked beneath the surface of pepper to uncover the secrets of its chemical composition and define the ideal way to handle the treasure from the Kampot region.

How to get the best out of the rare red pepper?

The subject of their research was red pepper, which is among the specialties of the region. These are fully ripe peppercorns that gain a sweet taste without losing their characteristic peppery spiciness. Scientists were primarily interested in the properties of handling this pepper during its processing after being harvested from the pepper vine.

In the traditional process, the peppercorns are harvested and then dried under the sharp Kampot sun. The temperatures accompanying the drying process can exceed up to 60 degrees Celsius. It was precisely the effect of temperature on the chemical processes inside and outside the peppercorns that became the subject of the scientists' research.

55 degrees Celsius is the critical temperature for preserving all aromas and flavors

Scientists found that the moment the drying temperature of the grains exceeds 55 degrees Celsius, degradation begins in several important factors that affect the overall taste and aroma of the pepper. The ripe red peppercorns lose their rich color, and the content of phenolic substances and flavonoids, which contribute to the taste and aroma profile of the peppercorn, also starts to decrease.

What these temperatures do not affect, however, is the piperine content in the peppercorn, which gives it its characteristic spiciness. Even at temperatures reaching 65 degrees Celsius, the levels of this substance remain stable, and the grain remains equally spicy.

The scientific research could eventually lead to an innovative approach to processing Kampot pepper

The result of the study could therefore be a conclusion and recommendation for farmers to dry their peppercorns at a constant temperature not exceeding 55 degrees Celsius. However, in such a case, the drying process takes a longer time. Therefore, scientists came up with a solution on how to dry peppercorns faster while preserving their important substances.

You can read about this procedure in our next article in the series When scientists look beneath the skin of Kampot pepper.