Wajos Tellicherry Pepper. Large, late-harvested peppercorns from India, aromatic and spicy – the black pepper for the mill that does more than just add heat.

Wajos Tellicherry Pepper is pure black pepper, consisting solely of whole Tellicherry peppercorns from India, 65 g by Wajos from Dohr on the Moselle. Not a pepper blend, not steak seasoning with salt, not ground pepper, but a single-origin pepper with large grains intended for the mill. Vegan.

Tellicherry Pepper from Wajos is the opposite of pepper from a shaker: that kind is fine, grey, old, and tastes like dusty heat. Tellicherry peppercorns are large, black, and wrinkled, and when you grind them over your plate, you first smell citrus and wood, followed by the heat. The difference lies in the harvest: the berries remain on the plant longer, becoming larger and riper, which creates more aroma alongside the spiciness. For us, keeping a jar of this in the mill replaces the notion that pepper is only ever just spicy, rather than replacing another pepper.

Citrus and wood on the nose, spice on the tongue, a long finish

Freshly ground, Tellicherry pepper smells of lemon zest, resin, and something floral, and only afterwards of the pepper you are familiar with. The heat is distinct but rounded – it arrives slowly and lingers, rather than stinging. The late harvest makes the peppercorns larger and the flavor fuller; anyone who grinds it next to ordinary black pepper will taste the difference immediately. Honestly: the aroma is fleeting. It loses it within minutes of being ground, which is why it belongs in a mill rather than a shaker. It is not suitable for those looking for a pre-mixed seasoning with salt, herbs, and a citrus note – for that, the Steak Pepper from Wajos is the right choice.

Over steak, pasta, strawberries, and everything that gets a final hit of pepper

The first port of call is steak: coarsely ground only after grilling, otherwise the pepper burns in the pan. The same applies to pasta with butter and parmesan, scrambled eggs, carpaccio, or tomato salad – Tellicherry is added to the plate at the end. A classic pepper sauce thrives on it: crush the grains in a mortar, let them simmer briefly in cream and the pan drippings. And if you haven't tried it yet: a few turns over strawberries with a little sugar or over vanilla ice cream. It is not suitable for dishes that cook for hours – the aroma is lost there and only the heat remains, for which simple pepper is sufficient.

Our tip: Spaghetti, butter, parmesan, plenty of coarsely ground Tellicherry, and a spoonful of Lemon Olive Oil – our go-to meal for evenings when the fridge is empty.

Selected on the Moselle, where Wajos packages its pepper and spices

Wajos is based in Dohr near Cochem on the Moselle, far from any pepper plants – but it is there that a company with over 80 employees selects its spices, packages them, and tests them in its own laboratory. The business originated from the Oster family winery in Ediger-Eller, winemakers for 15 generations; son Peter Oster and Ulf Schwichtenberg transformed Walter Josef Oster's 1980s liqueur factory into the brand Wajos, which now features around 900 items and its own stores.

The pepper for the table mill and for people who take steak seriously

Tellicherry pepper is for everyone who keeps a pepper mill on the table and uses it daily – for steak nights, pasta-loving families, and cooks who adjust the seasoning at the very end. As a gift, it is the perfect little extra alongside Grill Pepper or a bottle of oil; all our spices can be found on our Wajos page. Stored in a dry, dark, and well-sealed place, the peppercorns last a long time; 65 grams will fill a mill multiple times. It is not suitable for those looking for a mild pepper – Tellicherry is spicy, and that is how it should be.

Large grains, late-harvested, fresh from the mill – the black pepper from Wajos that we put on almost everything that comes to the table.