Peppadew

History

Peppadew International and the Peppadew brand was founded in 1995 after founder Johan Steenkamp discovered a sweet piquanté pepper in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Upon discovery of the pepper, plant breeder's rights were applied for and obtained with the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in order to protect the species. Johan Steenkamp started cultivating and processing the peppers in the Tzaneen region of South Africa, where Peppadew International's factory is still based today. Steenkamp later sold his interest in the company in 2004.

Peppadew International were the first to market this type of pepper. Although the pepper is sometimes described as a cross between a pepper and a tomato, this description is not botanically accurate, and refers only to the resemblance in color and size between red peppers and cherry tomatoes.

In 2011 Bon Appetit published a recipe for Pimento Mac & Cheese calling for Peppadews, then had to run a followup piece telling readers how to find the peppers. In 2016 the Baltimore Sun reported that there was a black market for the pepper's seeds.

Processing

Peppadew brand peppers are grown into seedlings from hand-selected seeds for six to eight weeks. They are then transferred to contract farmers who then grow the peppers under the guidance of Peppadew International's agricultural team. The raw peppers are then harvested and sent to Peppadew International's processing facility where the peppers are de-seeded, treated and bottled in a unique brine.