To the roots of flavours
custodians of nature’s best kept secrets. We humbly learned
from them in order to select these rare primal ingredients.
To match with the quality of these carefully grown and selected peppers,
we decided to elevate the game of our flavour extraction methods
and adopted techniques of the perfume industry.
Why start our quest with pepper?
Pepper is an ingredient that is unparalleled in flavour and botanical richness on our planet. It is both singular and plural. Singular because like the vine and wine, each pepper functions according to its variety, terroir and preparation, giving it a flavour footprint that is its own. Plural because the pepper (piperaceae) family includes around 2750 species, and plants that belong to this family are creepers, plants or shrubs.
On our quest for peppers and peppercorns, we have explored each continent and encountered remote populations cultivating endemic species for generations. We now aim to provide you with a selection of varieties whose originality and beauty stun us.
Each ingredient contains hundreds of active molecules. This constitutes its richness and beauty, but also makes it difficult to completely extract the substance, or to reconstitute accurately.
The more molecules you have, the more different they are and the more complicated they are to collect. In addition, many are very volatile and unstable.
Extraction is a very delicate art, combining precise technologies from the fragrance domain with MONIN’s well-established expertise at developing flavours outside of the normal range known by our nose and palate.
Our project uses a combination of three techniques: infusion, alcoholate (distillation) and supercritical CO2 extraction.
Each technique extracts a particular flavour profile and brings something different to the table – combining them achieves the complete ingredient flavour spectrum.
Supercritical CO2 extraction takes advantage of the carbon dioxide properties to reproduce the smell of an aromatic material most accurately, without altering the plant.
First, the CO2 is transformed into a supercritical state between gas and liquid by placing it under pressure, at a temperature below 40°C. This enables the extraction of volatile aromatic substances, achieving samples of exceptional olfactive quality and purity.
It’s important to note that the recycled CO2 doesn’t pollute as it is retrieved from the process and reused. This technique does not result in any additional greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s the acid most present in honey. This acid has the perfect properties for our project, as it enhances the flavours without introducing a parasite note (like, for example, lemon), delivering a superior long-lasting effect.
As a source of inspiration, we must never stop being surprised and amazed by Nature’s ingenuity. We just simply have to open our eyes and see.
The pepper collection
with rare and daring new flavours
