Cubeb, whole, glass bottle

Cubeb is fruit of the plant Piper cubeba, also known as Cubeb Pepper. The berries have their stalks still attached and so are sometimes called "Tailed Pepper".  Cubebs have an aroma and flavor similar to peppercorns, but with a note of allspice. 

Cubeb was one of the valuable spices imported during the Middle Ages. Native to Indonesia, particularly Java, cubeb came to Europe via India through Venetian trade with the Arabs. It was ground as a seasoning for meat and used in sauces. A medieval recipe which contains cubebs, alludes to the Arabic connection in its name-  'sauce sarcenes'.  Ocet Kubebowy, a vinegar infused with cubeb, cumin and garlic, was used for meat marinades in Poland during the 14th century.

The berries should be ground fresh, as they retain more flavor whole and quickly lose volatile oils when ground. In addition to their use in medieval cooking, they are a wonderful addition to modern cooking.  Try mixing them into your pepper grinder for everyday use.  Especially nice when combines with black pepper and garlic and used as a rub on pork roasts.

The spice comes packed in an attractive imported hand made glass bottle with a cork stopper. A removable label identifies the bottle's contents, and allows you to label  the bottle however you like.  

Each cork stoppered bottle is approx 3" tall and contains approx. 1/2 cup/ 8 tablespoons of fresh, whole cubeb berries.