Timiz & Kundo Berbere: Ethiopia's Two Peppers

Here's a secret of the spice trade: chili peppers are newcomers to Africa, carried across oceans a few centuries ago. But pepper — true pepper — has seasoned Ethiopian food far longer, and it comes in two forms every serious cook should know.

Kundo berbere (ቁንዶ በርበሬ) — black pepper

One of the most widely used spices in the world, black pepper brings a distinct and undeniable earthiness — woody, piney, and sharp all at the same time. In Ethiopia it is kundo berbere, and it works everywhere: ground into berbere and mitmita, cracked over tibs, warming the finishing blend mekelesha, even seasoning buna in some regions. Its heat is a different creature from chili heat — it prickles rather than burns, and it lifts other flavors instead of covering them.

Timiz (ጥምዝ) — the long pepper

Timiz is Ethiopia's long pepper: slender, catkin-shaped, usually dried and used as both spice and seasoning. It tastes similar to black pepper, its close relative, but runs hotter — with a smoky, almost sweet depth that black pepper can't reach. Timiz is essential in some regional berberes, magnificent in slow braises, and a revelation cracked over roasted squash or chocolate desserts. In the Gurage kitchens that gave the world kitfo, timiz is part of the flavor's DNA.

Using them together

Treat kundo berbere as your everyday pepper and timiz as your occasion pepper. Toast timiz whole before grinding to wake its smoke; use it where you want warmth with mystery — lentils, oxtail, mulled drinks. Keep both coarse when you want texture, fine when you want them to disappear into a blend.

Both belong in the deep pantry alongside berbere and korerima. Build yours from our Spices & Pantry collection, and see what these peppers can do in our Recipes.