Day 94: Kampot originals

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Did you know there are different types of pepper? Today we visited the Kampot Pepper Farm (La Plantation) and learned move about pepper than my previous knowledge times 1000x. Due to Kampot’s soil composition, pepper grows extremely well here. In fact, at one time Cambodia was known for its pepper quality around the world. However, during the Khmer Rouge, all pepper plantations were shut down and exportation of it was stopped. There is now a revival of the industry particularly in the Kampot area. We visited a plantation which grows normal pepper which can produce: green, red, white, and bird pepper based on when it is picked and how it is fermented. Bird pepper is the most expensive because the grounds are collected out of bird waste. The digestive process (fermentation) in the bird stomach is what makes the pepper so strong and glorious...so they told us. They also grow long pepper which again can produce red or green pepper. It takes 2-3 years for a pepper plant to produce pepper, but then it can produce for 25 years. After our tour, we did a pepper sampling of 10 different types of pepper. Who new pepper could smell and taste so different. The best comparison I have for the experience is a wine tour. That evening we rented a couple of kayaks on got on the river. There was a loop called the “green loop” because of the plethora of greenery around the river’s edge. There were times that you would be paddling through an archway of green. The most entertaining part of the loop were these two teenage boys who were on their first kayak adventure. How do I know it was their first? By the way they zigged, zagged and crashed from one side of the river to the other and then laughed and laughed! It was great to be a fly on the wall for their adventure.

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