How much do you know about spices?

Spices take us on a culinary voyage around the world. They awaken our senses and create new sensations, so they are clearly must-have companions for cooks.

Even if your choice of spices is first and foremost a question of taste, how much do you really know about them?

Find out more about the origin and specificities of spices, including the far-flung corners they come from, their unique scents, interesting appearances, and daring or exotic spice mixes.

Deepen your knowledge of spices through the Peugeot range of spices.

Peppercorns are available in four colours: green, red, black and white. In reality, it is the same peppercorn, with the only difference being that they are not harvested at the same time.

• Green pepper

This kind of pepper is harvested before it reaches maturity. It is generally sold in brine or dried. Milder than black pepper, it will add freshness to your dishes.

• Red pepper

As for red pepper, like Mondolkiri pepper or Takeo Cambodia long pepper, it is harvested when fully ripe. It is spicy and intense in flavour, perfect to brighten up poultry or pork dishes.

• White pepper

White pepper comes directly from red peppercorns. After being harvested, they are soaked in water to remove the red skin.

Drying them in the sun then gives them a subtler taste, with vegetable notes.

Try Sarawak pepper, which goes perfectly with white meats and vegetables, or our Fish Blend, made of 2 types of white peppercorns that will enhance seafood.

• Black pepper

Finally, the harvesting period for black pepper falls between that of green pepper and red pepper. Black pepper is the most commonly used pepper in cooking, as it works well in all kinds of dishes.

There are a few different origins of black pepper, like Tan Hoi pepper from Vietnam or Kampot Cambodia long pepper, which can be ground in the Isen mill, specially designed for this kind of pepper.

No, Sichuan pepper does not belong to the pepper family.

This spice grows on Asian shrubs from the rue family, making it a classic ingredient in Asian cuisine.

Peugeot’s Sichuan red peppercorns with floral and citrus notes go perfectly with duck, fish, as well as chocolate.

With 1,200 to 1,300 kg produced per hectare, Vietnam is the winner.

This country represents more than 30% of the world’s pepper production. Peugeot has many Vietnamese peppers on offer, like Tan Hoi and Ba Ria black peppercorns, as well as the false pepper Vinh Dinh that grows wildly in the north of the country.

Pink Andean salt owes its colour to its high level of iron, which is an essential trace element.  It is manually extracted from a deposit that is several million years old, at more than 3000 metres altitude. Its high salinity means that it goes well with grilled red meats, roasts, fatty fish or dishes cooked in sauce. It can also be enjoyed more simply with raw vegetable sticks or on a delicious tomato.

Blue salt originates from salt mines in Iran and Pakistan. Its subtle citrus notes make it a perfect accompaniment for fish and salads. Peugeot’s Persian blue salt is mined in Iran. Why not put it in a transparent salt mill like the Nancy so that you can admire its bluish tint?

Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree, which grows in wild forests and can reach heights of 15 meters.

In the Peugeot store, you can get real Ceylon Cinnamon, not to be confused with Chinese “Cassia” cinnamon, which is less aromatic and more bitter, but also much more common.

You can grind this spice with our Lanka shaker-mill, to brighten up your sweet and savoury dishes.

Peri-peri chilli is greatly used in West Indian and Reunion dishes, or to spice up oil for pizza.

This chilli of African origin is also known as bird’s eye chilli.

Presumably this is because after being dried, the chillies look like a bird’s eye.

As they are particularly hot, it is advised to cut open and deseed the chillies before using them.

You can find the exclusive Peugeot spice range online to experience this culinary voyage on your plate, a promise of intense flavours and a search for new sensations from all over the world. Set out to try a variety of salts and peppers with our Spice Gift Box, and travel through Nepal, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Finally, uniting spices and tableware, discover our ranges of spice mills, pepper mills, salt mills and flaxseed mills.  They feature understated and elegant designs, including iconic Peugeot models like the 210th anniversary edition with a unique, modern, graphic look.