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We are incredibly proud to have been awarded the maximum 3 star award at this year’s Great Taste Awards for our BoTree Kampot Black Pepper.
The annual awards are organised by the Guild of Fine Food in London and are considered to be the Foodie world’s equivalent of the Oscars.
Over 16,000 entries are judged by more than 300 top professional chefs and food industry experts from across Europe, a process that takes 6 months. Only the very best offerings end up winning an award, which are graded into 3 star for the absolute best, 2 star for truly wonderful and or 1 star for “Simply Delicious”. Only around 3% of the submissions manage to achieve a 3 star award.
In this year’s awards, which were announced on Monday, only one dried pepper achieved a three star award, BoTree’s Kampot Black Pepper.
The Judges’ comments were:
- A floral, citric aroma that is almost meadow fresh. Floral notes come through in the tasting, too, along with a dancing heat, and lasting aftertaste. These really pack a punch, and all components marry up well. We could think of no way to improve them. Truly delicious, even on their own.
- Gorgeous citrus on the nose with some woodiness. The peppercorns are evenly sized. There is subtle smokiness on the palate with a rounded, long lasting, warming heat that develops and continues at length.
- A fresh, aromatic, green aroma. Very spicy and hot on the tongue. Hotter than usual peppercorns but with a complexity of flavour. It packs a punch in flavour and delivers bitterness and heat, moving around the mouth and growing in intensity. Very complex flavour that is incredibly concentrated.
- Whole, large, even-sized peppercorns. Citrussy woody aroma when ground. Very subtle heat in the mouth that gradually increases (in a good way!). Fantastic woody flavour.
- These are beautiful-looking black peppercorns. When crushed they have a unique citrussy aroma. On tasting there is, of course, a powerful level of heat but there is so much fragrance. That perfume and some citrus linger on the palate along with the heat to add depth and complexity and those flavours keep on coming. Peppercorns that keep on giving. These are stunning and would enhance any dish or any meal. What a fabulous, outstanding condiment!
Although the Great Taste Awards are largely a British thing, they are scrutinised by professionals in the fine food and speciality food industry all around the world. So, hopefully, we will soon be getting our wonderful pepper to somewhere near you (if you are reading this from outside either Cambodia or the the UK)!.
