Pepper is now one of the most widely used spices in the world. Yet few people really know how it is grown.

At Chamkar Damnak, each harvest is the result of several years of work, patience and know-how passed down from generation to generation.

Three years of patience

Contrary to what you might think, a pepper vine does not produce immediately.

Even before planting the young vines, the soil must be carefully prepared.

Old roots are removed, then the land is ploughed several times before furrows are created to receive the future plants.

About every two metres, a sturdy four-metre wooden post is installed.

As the pepper plant is a climbing vine, it will naturally use this support to grow.

A fully natural plantation

Three young vines are planted at the base of each post.

To encourage their growth, we use only natural fertilisers carefully mixed into the soil:

• cow manure;
• bat guano;
• elephant manure from our foundation in Ratanakiri.

Each plant is then watered daily.

During the first years, the entire plot is protected from the sun using coconut leaves, bamboo or horticultural netting.

The water comes directly from the natural spring that runs through our property.

Three years without harvesting

For the first two to three years, not a single peppercorn is harvested.

On the contrary.

The flowers and the tips of the vines are regularly pruned to prevent the plant from using its energy to produce fruit.

All its strength is devoted to its growth.

After about three years, each vine reaches nearly three metres in height.

Only then can the first harvest begin.

The harvest

Pepper is harvested once a year.

It usually begins in February and ends around May, depending on weather conditions.

Picking starts very early in the morning, when temperatures are still pleasant.

Using step ladders, harvesters pick the pepper clusters and gently place them in wicker baskets.

But the work does not stop there.

Not all peppercorns ripen at the same time.

So you have to come back several times to each vine to harvest only the clusters that have reached perfect ripeness.

Meticulous sorting

Once harvested, the pepper is transported to the farm.

Then begins a fully manual process.

Each cluster is carefully sorted to separate:

• green peppercorns;
• red peppercorns;
• damaged peppercorns.

This step is essential to guarantee the final quality of each variety of pepper.

Drying

After sorting, the peppercorns are spread out in the sun for three to five days.

They are regularly turned to ensure perfectly even drying.

Under the sun’s effect, the peppercorns gradually take on their famous black colour.

Once this step is complete, a new sorting is carried out.

Each peppercorn is graded by size to achieve perfectly consistent quality.

Once again, all the work is done by hand.

Artisanal expertise

Producing great pepper is not just about planting a few vines.

Each harvest is the result of:

• several years of patience;
• daily care;
• a fully manual harvest;
• extremely rigorous sorting.

It is this high standard that helps build the international reputation of Kampot pepper.