Alien Ingredient #37: Tasmanian Pepper Syrup

Tasmanian Pepper Syrup

My specialty goods sales rep called me and said, "Ed, you buy some crazy stuff. You should try this stuff we just got." And he's right, I buy crazy stuff, especially if I have never tried it before. I just have that itch to taste as many foods as I can before I die.

This is a syrup made from the fruit of a small shrub (Tasmannia lanceolata) native to Tasmania and southeastern Australia. This fruit has been used as a black pepper substitute.

When I first heard about the syrup, I thought "duck." And then I tasted it. It combines the flavors of black pepper, cinnamon, and red wine, all of which we use today to garnish our duck breasts and lots of other things.

And most certainly, this syrup will go with the duck breast on our menu this evening. And equally most certainly, I will not pay $13 again for a tiny quantity of a syrup that I can easily imitate by adding black peppercorns to our current red wine-cinnamon syrup recipe.

Vote: delicious! But I can make a gallon of similarly flavored syrup for the same price.