Vietnamese Long Pepper: The Rediscovered Treasure of Spice & Health

While round black peppercorns remain a household staple worldwide, Vietnamese Long Pepper (known locally as Tiêu Lốp, Tiêu Lốt, or Tiêu Dài) is an ancient spice experiencing a vibrant revival. Once prized along historical trade routes and preferred over common pepper in antiquity, this spike-shaped fruit is making a strong...

The Ultimate Guide to Maqaw: Comparing Taiwan and Vietnam’s Wild Mountain Pepper

Known scientifically as Litsea cubeba, the small aromatic berry harvested from wild mountain trees across East and Southeast Asia goes by many names. In Taiwan, it is famously known by its Atayal Indigenous name, Maqaw (馬告) and in Vietnam, it is recognized as Màng Tang. While both countries harvest the...

Discovering Maqaw (Lemon pepper): How Europe’s Top Chefs Are Falling for Asia’s Best-Kept Spice Secret

Across European fine dining and artisanal culinary spaces, a new star is quietly transforming menus: Maqaw (also known as Litsea Cubeba, Lemon Pepper, or May Chang). Traditionally harvested from wild mountainous forests in Vietnam and Taiwan, this remarkable berry is bridging the gap between traditional mountain heritage and modern European...

Why is Phu Quoc Pepper one of the best peppers in the world?

Many international culinary experts have rated Phu Quoc Pepper in Vietnam as one of the best peppers in the world. They are deeply impressed by its beauty, strong aroma, pungency, and heat which are rarely found in any other peppers. Phu Quoc pepper is grown in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam,...

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Vietnamese Cassia or Sri Lankan Ceylon: Which to Choose?

Vietnam and Sri Lanka are both leading global exporters of cinnamon. Vietnamese cinnamon is known as Cassia, while Sri Lankan cinnamon is referred to as Ceylon. Both varieties are renowned for their exceptional quality, exquisite flavor, and health-boosting properties. However, each type possesses unique characteristics that lead to different uses—nuances...

The Position of Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Pepper on the Global Pepper Map

Phu Quoc Pepper is pepper grown in Phu Quoc, a 28 island district of an archipelago located off the coast of southern Vietnam. Phu Quoc pepper is famous for its heat, pungency and strong aroma, especially the red pepper. This pepper is regarded by many culinary experts as one of...

How to make the best Maqaw (Mountain pepper)?

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...

Is Doi seed still the “Black Gold”?

Doi seed is a renowned spice from the Northwest region of Vietnam, distinguished by its unique, unmistakable aroma and high medicinal value due to its abundant essential oil content. Just a few seeds are enough to completely transform a dish. Anyone who has ever tasted its flavor will surely find...

2 wild peppers from Vietnam’s mountains

In the northern mountainous regions of Vietnam, there are two special spices that are considered gifts of nature. They are completely natural with the particular flavor of the mountains and forests. Anyone who tastes these two exotic spices once will never forget them. And they are Mac khen pepper (Zanthoxylum...

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Harvesting Doi seeds and Mac Khen pepper (Wild pepper), a dangerous job

Doi seeds (Talauma) or Hạt Dổi (in Vietnamese) and Mac khen pepper or Hạt Mắc Khén (in Vietnamese) are two exotic spices of the Northwest region of Vietnam. They have a very special flavor of the mountains and forests. Just a little of these spices is enough to make your...

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How to distinguish Sichuan and Mac khen pepper (Wild pepper)

Sichuan pepper is a very famous spice from China and is commonly used in Asian cuisine. Meanwhile, Mac Khen pepper (or Wild pepper) is a specialty spice of the Northwest region of Vietnam, used a lot in the dishes of ethnic minorities. And the world has only learned about this...

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Doi seeds “Black Gold” spice from Vietnam

A real gift of Nature Vietnamese cuisine has been becoming more and more popular around the world and received a lot of admiration from various well-known international culinary experts. The first to mention is the late chef Anthony Bourdain, who accompanied the US President Barack Obama during his visit to...

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4 Exotic spices from Vietnam

On the world spice map, there are spices that come from faraway countries and often have unique flavors and aromas. They have been used in different cultures for centuries and called exotic spices. Thanks to the strong international integration including the culinary sector, some exotic spices became popular  worldwide such...

The door for Star Anise in Lang Son, Vietnam to enter the EU market is increasingly open thanks to the Geographical Indication

Lang Son is the province with the largest anise growing area in Vietnam with more than 40,000 hectares, accounting for 70% of the supply of star anise for processing spice products. Lang Son star anise is highly appreciated for its quality due to its high essential oil content (average over...

Organic Cinnamon, the way to reach difficult markets

With a mountainous terrain, Vietnam is very suitable for the growth and development of cinnamon trees, especially in the northern mountainous provinces. Vietnamese cinnamon has appeared on the world spice map for many years, and is highly appreciated by many spice experts. However until now, Vietnam’s cinnamon market is still...

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Forest Cinnamon, a great kind of Cinnamon for decorations

In Vietnam, besides the regular type of cinnamon used as a spice, which is popular in many foreign markets, there is still  another type of cinnamon called forest cinnamon. Although this type of Cinnamon has very little taste and flavor, it has a much more beautiful appearance than regular cinnamon....

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Lemon pepper (Maqaw/Maychang) are highly appreciated by a Belgian spice expert

Among Doispice’s foreign customers, there is a very famous Belgian spice expert named Rudy Smolarek, knows as “The prince of spices”. He has spent more than 30 years of his life collecting spices around the world and has tasted all the flavors in the world. Doispice was very lucky to...

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Exporting a batch of Mac Khen pepper (wild pepper) and Lemon pepper (Maqaw) to EU

Among Doispice’s spices, Mac Khen pepper (wild pepper) and Lemon pepper (Maqaw) are being interested by many foreign customers. Including spice importers in EU, they evaluate these two exotic spices have a very attractive taste and are suitable for European tastes and preferences. At the request of the customer, Doispice...