Pepper

Pepper is the dried berry of Piper Nigrum. This vine, which can grow up to ten feet tall, is indigenous to Asia. Pepper is actually a berry that is picked about nine months after flowering. Black Pepper, the spiciest, are the berries that are picked unripe. The berries used for White Pepper are ripened on the vine and soaked so that their outer skin is easily removed.

Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavor and as a medicine. It is one of the most common spices added to European cuisine. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine.

Black Pepper is extensively cultivated in tropical regions. The quality of Sri Lankan Pepper is known to be the best in the world.

Grades

1. Grade 1 - 550 G/L
2. Grade 2 (FAQ) - 500G/L

Specifications

Requirements	Grade 1	Grade 2
Extraneous Matter % by Mass, Max	1	1.5
Mouldy Berries% by Mass, Max.	1	2
Light Berries, Broken Pepper Corns & Skins % by Mass, Max.	4	10
Pin Heads % by Mass, Max.	0.5	1
Moisture, % by Mass, Max	12	14

As per Sri Lankan Standard Test Methods for Spices & Condiments.

Categories: History, Pepper, Spices

Clove

The Clove tree (Caryophylus C.) is an evergreen which grows to a height ranging from 8 to 12m, having large square leaves and sanguine flowers in numerous groups of terminal clusters. The flower buds are at first of a pale color and gradually become green, after which they develop into bright red, when they are ready for collecting. Cloves are harvested when 1.5 to 2 cm long, and consist of a long calyx, terminating in four spreading sepals, and four unopened petals which form a small ball in the center. Cloves are strong, pungent, and sweet.

Ground Cloves add spicy depth to gingerbread, cookies, muffins, cakes, and other sweets. It’s secret ingredient in barbecue and cocktail sauces. Sri Lanka Cloves command a premium price in the world market for its quality and consistency.

Grades:

1. Special (Hand Picked / Selected)
2. Grade 1

Specifications:

Characteristics	H/P	Grade 1
Headless Cloves % by Mass, Max	2.0	N/A
Cloves Below 10 mm in length % by Mass	1.0	N/A
Cloves Stems & Fruits % by Mass	0.2	2.0
Fermented Cloves % by Mass	0.5	2.0
Extraneous Matter % by Mass	0.2	0.5
Moisture percent by mass. Max	12.0	12.0

As Per CS 186:1973 Sri Lankan Standard Test Methods for spices & condiments.

Packing:
Cloves (Hand Picked) are initially packed in poly bags and then inserted in to corrugated cartons, with each carton weighing approximately 30 to 35Kgs. Cloves Grade 1/FAQ is packed in 50 Kgs gunny bags.

Categories: Clove, History, Spices