What Is Pepper?

In this episode of Taste of Place, Anna chats with:

• Dr. Patricia King, an associate professor at the University Putra Malaysia and part of the Sarawak Pepper Farm Project.

• Julia Fine, a food historian and researcher for the Plant Humanities Initiative.

Here are some highlights:

Introduction to Taste of Place

• Anna introduces herself and Taste of Place, and emphasizes that the first season will focus on pepper and how integral it is to cultures all around the world.

How Taste Triggers Nostalgia

• Dr. Kimberely Wilson, a psychologist who studies the intersection between psychology and food, explains some of the science behind why taste and smell are so closely tied to feelings of nostalgia.

• Anna describes her own experience triggering feelings of nostalgia by revisiting pepper farms in Sarawak in the Borneo jungles where she grew up.

• Anna also explains how pepper is more than an ingredient to her since she herself grew up on a Sarawak pepper farm.

What is Pepper?

• Anna highlights that in this context when talking about pepper, she is referring to the dried black kernels that are peppercorns.

• Anna describes the pepper plant, how it's farmed and how we get peppercorns from the berries.

The Sarawak Pepper Farm Project

• Dr. Patricia King, a leader of the Sarawak Pepper Farms Project, talks about the biggest challenges faced by the Sarawak people and farmers.

• Dr. King also highlights that the main goal of the project is to solve  issues of price, pest, disease, and more in an environmentally friendly way.

Pepper Farming in Sarawak

• Dr. King explains some of the traditional farming methods that are used in Sarawak pepper farming.

• Both Anna and Dr. King emphasize that a key feature of growing pepper is growing it alongside other crops such as palm oil, rice and fruits.

• Anna talks about the unpredictability of harvesting pepper in Sarawak and the challenges that this produces.

History of Pepper Cultivation in Sarawak

• Anna and Dr. King explain that pepper farming was first started in Sarawak by the Chinese.

• Anna explains more of Sarawak’s history and the role of Rajah Brooks.

The Imperial Project

• Julia Fine describes the role of colonization and how it affects the ubiquity of certain crops and spices like pepper.

• She delves into just how deeply plants can be embedded in our culture and everyday lives.

The Fundamental Paradox of Plants

• Julia explains that while it’s easy to see plants as unmoving and unchanging, there is a lot to be learned by observing the movement of plants throughout history.

Food Chemistry

• With the rise of food chemistry, Julia explains that scholars and sensory historians are able to show that flavor isn’t the same everywhere, and that different cultural factors affect sensory experiences like taste.