Pepperberry – also known as Tasmanian pepper, mountain pepper, Dorrigo pepper and pepperleaf, among other names – is an indigenous plant often associated with Tasmania, although it is grown in other states, too. Both the leaves (often ground) and the small, dark purple berries (usually sold air-dried or freeze-dried) are used in cooking, adding a range of aromatic, spicy notes and, with the berries, colour too.
Here are some delicious pepperberry recipes that will show you how to use several of the different forms of the berry, from pies and stir-fries to even an ice-cream!
A Torres Strait islander twist on Filipino flavours, this yam doughnut recipe from Nornie Bero features the earthy-sweetness of purple yam in the form of ube extract and purée, paired with a native hibiscus, pepperberry, wattleseed and macadamia syrup. Easy to make, colourful and delicious!
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Crispy whitebait meets bush spice brilliance in this dish from Torres Strait Islander TV host and cookbook author Nornie Bero. Whitebait, saltbush stems and lemon slices are dusted in a flour mix seasoned with ground pepperberry, ground saltbush, aniseed myrtle and ground fennel, then fried til golden. These crunchy pieces are delicious served with a tartare sauce made with mayonnaise, labneh, karkalla and capers.
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Curious about how to cook emu? In the new season of The Cook Up (find more recipes from the show here), Nornie Bero shows you how with her pan-fried emu fillets, seasoned with pepperberry and hibiscus powder. For extra crunch and flavour, she adds a robust native flavours dukkah of macadamia, saltbush, sesame seeds, chilli and garlic.
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In this recipe shared in episode four of the new season of A Girl's Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking, Analiese Gregory flavours this crisp-skinned pork with pepperberry and kunzea (an Indigenous Australian plant with herb, citrus, earthy and eucalypt notes).
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This breakfast recipe from Nornie Bero brings together stone fruit, the nutty-chocolate notes of wattleseed and karkalla, a native succulent with a crisp, salty-cucumber flavour. A pinch of gound pepperberry adds flavour to the dressing and the wattleseed ricotta.
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Mark Olive's vibrant warrigal greens, pepperleaf (one of the names used for the ground leaves of the pepperberry plant) and saltbush frittata, topped with crumbled sheep's cheese, is quick and easy to make.
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Turn up the heat a little with this recipe from Nornie Bero, with karkalla, cucumber, samphire and chilli pickled in a red wine vinegar and spice pickling liquid that includes whole pepperberries in the mix. Great served with cheese and bread.
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Here, Indigenous chef Mindy Woods uses ground pepperberries in a punchy beef marinade, and then in the stir-fry sauce, too. The beef is stir-fried with a mix of native greens and succulants, and roasted macadamias, for a celebration of Australian ingredients on your plate.
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You'll mostly see pepperberry used in savoury dishes, where standard pepper might be otherwise used, but here Matthew Evans uses pepperberry leaves and ground dried pepperberries to add warmth to a luscious ice-cream recipe.
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Looking to add some zing at your next barbecue? In this recipe from Mark Olive, frozen pepperberries are used in a red wine sauce, adding some punch to the the beef, mushroom and cherry tomato skewers, which are threaded with a few lemon myrtle leaves for an extra dose of Australian flavour.
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Pepperberry and lemon myrtle are paired again in this recipe from Indigenous cook, author and bushfood educator Jody Orcher. Ready in just 20 minutes, this dish matches the ground pepperberry, lemon myrtle and finger lime-flavoured lamb with quick-pickled tomato, onion and cucumber.
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"This is my spin on the classic Chinese salt and pepper squid. I've used native Australian ingredients: dried saltbush flakes for their herbaceous saltiness, mountain pepper for its punch and dried lemon myrtle for its zing," says Mark Olive of this punchy take on the classic.
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A rich, creamy mushroom filling is elevated with native spices – ground pepperberry, saltbush and bush tomato – then topped with crisp butter puff pastry in this pie from Nornie Bero.
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The cooked beer-battered mushrooms are tossed in an Aussie spice salt (with ingredients including wattleseed, bush tomato and ground mountain pepper) for a finishing touch of flavour in this Adam Liaw recipe.
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Easy-to-make Johnny cakes can be served with sweet or savoury toppings. In this recipe, Rae Johnston pairs hers with a native flavours dukkah that includes macadamia, ground pepperberry, wattleseed and lemon myrtle.
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Try this modern-day Indigenous twist on the classic spag bol from Kirsten Banks. This hearty dish features a rich and savoury meaty sauce, infused with the distinctive flavour of ground pepperberry.
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