Description
The Batak berries are wild-harvested in the northern part of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia by the ethnic group of the same name, also known as the “Toba people”. They come from a thorny shrub: the Zanthoxylum acanthopodium, a cousin of Szechuan peppers, which grows at 1500m altitude, on the heights of Samosir. The berries are also called “Andaliman Pepper,” “Batak Pepper,” or “Intir Intir.” They grow at an altitude of 1500m north of Tapanuli and Samosir, near Lake Toba.
The Batak berry releases powerful citrus notes reminiscent of pink grapefruit and crushed mandarin leaves. It has a soft, almost sweet texture. Once ground, this “Andaliman pepper” releases fresh and slightly acidic notes.
