Kampot is the source. The area covered by the Kampot pepper PGI runs from here to Kep, between the Bokor massif and the Gulf of Thailand, and our shop sits at KHLA Lodge, among the vines themselves.
See where it grows
The plantation we work with is inside the PGI area, a short drive out of town. You can walk the rows, see the drying floors, and understand in ten minutes why red pepper costs more than black: it is picked berry by berry, because the berries on a single cluster never ripen at the same time.
The harvest
February to May is when the plantations are in full swing, and it is also the season for red pepper, picked fully ripe. The rest of the year the vines stay green and visits continue. The dry season, November to March, is the easiest time to move around the countryside.
Salt as well as pepper
Kampot also makes salt, in the pans between the town and the sea. The fleur de sel skimmed off the surface is fine and remarkably mild. If you take two things home from here, take those.
Stay among the vines
KHLA Lodge has five rooms among the pepper vines, by the river, with a pool looking out over the countryside. The access track is dirt for the last few kilometres, so bring the right vehicle or ask us for the transfer.
Straight from the Kampot harvest
Planning your shopping before you arrive? Our guide on what to bring back from Cambodia covers what deserves space in the suitcase.