FAQ Black Pepper: More Pungent Flavor

Processing of black pepper contains many steps that the farmers need to focus on to produce good products. Producers grade black pepper into 2 classifications, based on its cleaning method. They are FAQ and MC black pepper. In this post, we’ll show you everything you need to know about FAQ black pepper.

1. Processing of Black Pepper: Harvesting and drying

Initially, farmers harvest the green peppercorn from their farms. They have to follow the standard to ensure the pepper reaches the highest quality. Farmers only harvest when the ripe rate of pepper fruits on a bunch reaches 5 – 10%. This rate is for making black pepper, while the rate for making white pepper is more than 20%. The pepper fruit ripe when it changes from green to yellow.

After the farmers harvest the peppercorns, they move to the drying steps to make black pepper. The purpose is to dehydrate pepper fruit and unlock its smell and taste. To achieve the full black color of dried pepper, farmers need to dry pepper in direct sunshine.

The farmers spread pepper berries out on PP fabric under the sun to absorb the heat. The pepper berries get dried until they turn black and wrinkled.

The farmers take care to maintain a final moisture content of 8 – 10% to prevent mold growth. It takes about 3 – 4 days to finish the process.

When the pepper turns from green to black and the water content reaches 11 – 12%, that’s qualified.

Now, black pepper undergoes the cleaning process. The purpose is to pick up flat, damaged seeds, separating impurities… from black pepper. This is also an important step because it determines whether pepper meets the standard for export. This step makes 2 kinds of pepper MC and FAQ black pepper.

2. FAQ Black Pepper

This refers to a “Fair Average Quality”. FAQ pepper goes through some basic processing to remove objects like branches and large impurities like stones or dirt. However, it may still contain some admixture, up to 1% max. This could include small leaves, twigs, or broken peppercorns. FAQ pepper is generally considered less visually appealing than MC but can retain a more robust flavor due to minimal processing.

Appearance:

• Color: Dark brown to black
• Size: Varies, but generally smaller and less uniform than higher-grade peppercorns
• Shape: Round or slightly wrinkled
• Impurities: May contain some leaves, twigs, or broken peppercorns

Flavor:

• Pungency: Strong, spicy flavor  
• Aroma: Slightly less aromatic than higher-grade peppercorns

Processing:

• Minimal processing: Undergoes basic cleaning to remove large impurities, but retains some smaller ones
• Less visually appealing: Compared to higher grades, FAQ pepper may have a less polished appearance

Specifications of FAQ Black Pepper of HAVIGO

• Origin: Vietnam
• Size: 3mm min
• Moisture: 12.5% max
• Admixture: 1% max
• Weight: 500g/l, 550g/l, 580g/l, 600g/l

About us

Havigo Company Limited operates in the field of agricultural export. We wish to bring high-quality Vietnamese agricultural products such as spices, rice, beans, and fruits… to the world. We supply you with high-quality products at the best price. If you find interested in importing FAQ Black Pepper from Vietnam, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for better support via WhatsApp: +84 979 58 58 56.

We are confident in our ability to deliver products that consistently meet the highest quality standards while offering competitive pricing within the market. Furthermore, we are committed to providing exceptional customer support throughout your entire experience. Please contact us for better support via WhatsApp: +84 979 58 58 56.