Tasmannia stipitata

Tasmannia stipitata, commonly known as the Dorrigo pepper or northern pepperbush is a rainforest shrub of temperate forests of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Leaves are fragrant, narrow-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, 8–13 cm long. Dark bluish to mauve berries follow the flowers on female shrubs. The species is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.

Dorrigo pepper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Canellales
Family: Winteraceae
Genus: Tasmannia
Species:
T. stipitata
Binomial name
Tasmannia stipitata

Culinary use

The culinary quality of T. stipitata was recognized in the mid-1980s by horticulturist Peter Hardwick, who gave it the name 'Dorrigo pepper', and Jean-Paul Bruneteau, then chef at Rowntrees Restaurant, Sydney. It is mainly wild harvested from the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. Dorrigo pepper has a woody-cinnamon and peppery note in the leaves and the fruit/seed. The hot peppery flavor is derived from polygodial,[3] an essential oil component, common to most species in the family.

Research

Research showed that T. stipitata has the potential to be used as an anti food spoilage and medicinal agent because of its low toxicity and moderate broad spectrum inhibitory activity against bacteria, fungi and Giardia.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Tasmannia stipitata". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. Smith, A.C. (1969) A reconsideration of the genus Tasmannia (Winteraceae). Taxon 18: 287.
  3. Beattie, G.A.C., Spray Oils Beyond 2000, University of Western Queensland, ISBN 1-86341-902-0
  4. C. Harta, P. Ilankoa, J. Sirdaartaa,b, P. Rayana,b, P.A. McDonnella and I. E. Cocka, "Tasmannia stipitata as a Functional Food/Natural Preservative: Antimicrobial Activity and Toxicity", Pharmacognosy Communications, Volume 4, Issue 4, Oct–Dec 2014.

Further reading
  • Bruneteau, Jean-Paul, Tukka - Real Australian Food, ISBN 0-207-18966-8
  • Harden, G.J., Flora of New South Wales, Volume 1, ISBN 0-86840-164-1


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