Maqaw (Mountain pepper) has the scientific name Litsea Cubeba and is known by many other names such as May Chang, Lemon Pepper, Verbena Pepper, or Mountain Pepper. It is an evergreen tree, 5-12m high, usually growing in mountainous areas. Maqaw is native to Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan and especially Vietnam being renowned for producing the highest quality Maqaw.
Maqaw (Litsea Cubeba) is commonly used to produce essential oil and is quite popular worldwide. In recent years, European chefs have been paying great attention to Maqaw as a spice. They really love its unique flavor which is deeply fragrant with a great combination of lemon, lemongrass, ginger, and mandarin aromas. Just a little Maqaw added to any dish will immediately enhance its fragrance. Its taste is less intense and spicy than chili and regular pepper, making it easily applicable to a wide variety of dishes, from baked goods to desserts.
However, producing the highest quality Maqaw/Verbena Pepper (evaluated based on flavor and essential oil content) is not easy. Let Doispice show you how we create the best Maqaw in Da Bac, Hoa Binh, Vietnam:
First, as the Maqaw/Mountain pepper harvest season approaches (starting in August annually), we work with our partner farmers in advance. We guide them on how to harvest according to Doispice’s standards and guarantee to purchase their entire output.
When the harvest time arrives, the farmers will have to go deep into the forests where Maqaw trees grow wildly. The Maqaw fruits turn black when ripe. The farmers selectively pick only the ripe berries to ensure the highest and best essential oil content. Mixing unripe and ripe berries would result in an inconsistent color in the final product and compromise its overall quality.
Just ripe berries are picked
After procuring the fresh Maqaw berries from the farmers, Doispice’s production team brings them to our facility for careful sorting to remove impurities and substandard berries. These ripe, black berries are then sun-dried for 3 to 5 days. Following this, our quality control team tests the Maqaw for quality and moisture content before it is packaged and delivered to our customers.
Doispice always strives our utmost to deliver the highest quality Maqaw product to our customers, contributing to introducing this novel spice to the world. And when the world speaks of Maqaw, they will immediately think of Maqaw from Vietnam.