In 1897 Ting China traveled to Sarawak to start a new life at the foot of a mountain in the jungle. Some friends have invited him to join a growing number of families in southern China. Together with the people of Sarawak, they have started growing some of the best and most fragrant peppers in the world.
In recent years, many immigrants have found it more profitable to grow rubber, but the pepper industry has been revived. Today, Sarawak has over 21,000 hectares (approximately 8,500 hectares) of pepper and is one of the most important pepper-producing regions in the world, along with India, Indonesia and Brazil. Sarawak's gardens, each 0.4 hectares on average, produce a quarter of the world's peppers.
The busiest season for pepper growers is March through October. March is the fruit season. In June and July, the whole family harvests the peppercorns on stable ladders next to the 3.7-meter-high vineyards. Our garden covers an area of two hectares (0.8 hectare) and we have more than 1300 vineyards for harvesting grapes, which hang in small clusters.
After harvest, the peppercorns must be cleaned, blown, brushed, washed, dried and separated before they can be placed on the table.
Insist on the trails to ensure a good harvest. About ten years ago, all our vines were destroyed by the dreaded rot of our feet. This disease is easily transmitted and can destroy large vines in a very short time. The disease was probably brought to our surface by someone who had passed through an infected area.
Another thing to watch out for is fertilization. At a time when pepper prices were quite high, the father decided to give the vines additional fertilizer. However, the results were very disappointing. In fact, the harvest was not as good as in previous years. Now, with adequate fertilization, our vineyards produce more than 12,250 kg of green fruit per year. The vines are between seven and eight years old, the right age for a good yield. We assume that the amount collected will decrease in the future.
Black and white pepper making process
It is often thought that there are two different types of peppers, black and white. In fact, only the processing of berries is different. From our 12,250 kg of berries, we can produce 3,260 kg of white pepper or 3,600 kg of black pepper.
The Malaysian Pepper Marketing Council believes that there is no need to blanch peppers with chemicals, which is why Sarawak white pepper arrives at your table unaltered. Our method of preparing pepper is typical. We collect the berries when one of the fruits on the nail turns red. Then we load the harvested fruits into jute bags. The bags are then transported to a reservoir fed by a stream. Here the berries are completely soaked for about ten days until the scalp is soft and lazy. The berries are then poured into a tub where we step on them with our feet, then we wash them to remove the rotten pericarp as well as the stems. The berries are then soaked for a day or two before being washed a second time. We wait at least three days in dry, sunny weather so that we can dry the peppercorns on the woven meadows.
Delayed drying affects the white color and tart taste. When the weather is wet or unfavorable, we must immerse the peppercorns in water. If they are removed and placed in moist air, they will likely rot.
Sometimes it is more profitable for us to sell black pepper. If necessary, we prefer to dry only green berries. (Red or yellow berries produce uneven colored pepper after drying.) The stems with their green fruits are only kept for a few days. This makes it easier to throw fruit on the screen and remove unwanted stems. The berries are then dried on the lawn without soaking like white pepper. Dried peppers are cleaned and blown to remove foreign bodies.
How are peppercorns tested to see if they are really dry? One way is to let it pass through our hands. If they dry well, they float freely and do not tend to stick. But I think the best method is to break one of the berries between the teeth. When the pepper reaches the desired low moisture content, it is ground to a powder instead of being halved.
Marketing of peppers
Pepper is like money to us. It can be kept for a long time without sacrificing quality. We actually reserve a small dry room at home to preserve pepper. This room can be called our savings bank. Pepper is stored here in jute bags imported from Pakistan. To give it more strength, place the filled bag in another. Plastic bags cannot be used because they affect the quality of the pepper. We try to determine the right time to sell our valuable products and take them to retailers or exporters who buy them at market prices that day.
But some small pepper producers who live in remote areas are forced to sell their products in the nearest village store. Sometimes the paths to the gardens are too narrow for a small van, so heavy bags must be loaded on a bicycle and transported individually to the next street. Other manufacturers bring their products to the store by the river. In these cases, the trader gives the farmers household utensils, hand tools and fertilizers in exchange for pepper that the farmers bring to the store. Manufacturers tell the dealer when to sell. The relations between the stakeholders are generally cordial. But I heard my brother talk about cases where the merchant uses the pepper producer.
Not so long ago, Dad used to ride a bike with his pepper too. Times have changed and now we have our truck. We take our pepper and other products to the main bazaar in Kuching. This allows us to earn some extra dollars by selling to exporters. Some of these exporters may have direct contacts with foreign buyers.
Most peppercorns are transported to Singapore, where pepper traders specifically classify peppers to meet specifications established by recognized bodies, such as the American Spice Traders Association.
Pepper makers like the outdoors and job satisfaction. Although we are far from abundant in material goods, we want to grow this spice that also acts as a spice. Next time you add some pepper to your food, think of me. Who knows? The same pepper could have been grown in our Sarawak area.
Amazing