The King of Spices
What if there was a way we could replicate the healing magic of the jungle medicine that was grown in the Spice Islands before the dawn of Global Capitalism, East India Tea & Spice Company, and the Spice War Massacre? What is it about that particular Black Pepper, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Ginger, Clove, and so many more of today’s “seasonings” that created such lust, hysteria, greed, and desire of man? The British, Spaniards, Dutch, and Portuguese were all known to have risked their biggest ships, bravest men, and most skilled captains to sail the seas for years on end to obtain the profound healing powers of the Spice Islands. This could not have been your average black table pepper, agree? Then what was it? 
After almost 15 years living on the Hawaiian island of Kauai and ten years building our tropical plant medicine farm, I finally had a chance to experience the alluring yet scarce Kauai-grown black pepper. Much to my surprise, the slow-growing vine produced a spicy fruit that resembled a bunch of grapes, just a few inches in length. But don’t let the vision of these miniature berries fool you. I proceeded to nibble on these acutely spicy black pepper seeds throughout the day. The experience engrossed me in the potent efficacy of this euphoric plant medicine that was grown way back when: before the chemicals, before the wars, before the middlemen, before the mono-cropping, before the monopolies, and before the machines. For back in that day, the highly valued black pepper plant was believed to combat the rampant Black Plague that devastated European societies.
So can we do it? Can we replicate the diversity, variety, and efficacy of the black pepper found in the Spice Islands of yesteryear to rebuild our immune systems, reinvigorate our soil, and perfume our air? How would such a lifestyle system of plant medicine be founded, operated, and utilized to heal our planet, ourselves, and loved ones? What are the main ingredients in the lost recipe to growing truly healing plant medicine? These are the quests guiding our mission.
Our new Black Pepper offering is a milestone in the revival of this ancient tradition of allure and medicinal quality. We married the finest salt available throughout the sacred Hawaiian Islands with the enlivening and affluent nature of Kauai-grown black pepper, to redefine table “Salt & Pepper”. Hawaiian red salt is an unrefined sea salt mixed with an iron oxide rich volcanic clay called ʻAlaea. Black Pepper cleans the GI tract, reduces inflammation and joint pain, aids in weight loss, balances blood sugar, supports hair & skin, and helps to deliver nutrients to the body. This new exquisite offering is as simple and foundational to our daily nutrition and medicine cabinet as it gets. We are grateful to be able to share this precious culinary delicacy and medicinal powerhouse with you.
