Pepper of the Monks

Composition: Pepper of the Monks. Monk's pepper is the name given to the dried fruit of the chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), a shrub native to the Mediterranean regions. Monks' pepper is also called "agnus-castus", "wild pepper" or "little pepper". The fruits which grow in clusters are left to dry on the branch and then harvested in winter. Its name would come from the fact that it would have been used in the Middle Ages to flavor the soup of monks in monasteries for its anaphrodisiac properties (so the opposite of aphrodisiac...well you understood :) ). Sweeter than black pepper, it also has a more bitter taste.