When we drove out in an attempt to find the secret lake near Kampot, we decided to stop by the pepper farms on the way. There are a few Kampot Pepper Farms that you can visit. We certainly learned a few things about pepper that neither of us knew before.
For example, how do the different colours of pepper grow?
Sothy’s Eco Kampot Pepper Farm
We rode out past Kep through the pepper plantations and turned in at Sothy’s Eco pepper farm. It was inspiring to see how much pride they take in their pepper here. You can learn a bit more on Sothy’s website. There was no one else and a very nice guide showed us the pepper plants and explained how they produce the famous green, red, white and black Kampot pepper.
Firstly, turns out they are all the same. Sothy harvests the green pepper when it is still green. Then they place it in hot water for 5 minutes to keep the green colour. Their red pepper variant is harvested when it is still red. Similarly, they place the red pepper in hot water for 5 minutes to keep its colour red. Black is harvested when it is red and put in hot water for 1 minute, then dried. The farmers harvest what is to become white pepper when it is still red. Then they place in hot water for 5 minutes. Afterwards they peel it, giving it its white appearance.
Another Cambodian secret uncovered! Who knew pepper was so simple.
This farm also grows Rambutan, which tastes similar to Lychees. It is a very delicious Asian fruit that has refreshing properties even in the hottest of days!
Really enjoyed our visit here and recommend visiting this Kampot pepper farm.
