Chef Luu Meng / Partner, Kampot Pepper Plantation:

Kampot pepper is number one in the world. Chef’s call it “crispy” – not because it’s crunchy, but because it has a beautiful pan-seared aroma.  

In southern Cambodia, the coastal province of Kampot is home to a pepper unlike any other.

But years ago, this prized spice nearly disappeared. Farmers relied heavily on pesticides, buyers turned away, income was unstable, and the community struggled to survive.

Luu Meng, a Chinese Cambodian Masterchef, has helped turn it around.  

Chef Luu Meng:

At that time, Kampot pepper had no market price. Farmers borrowed from banks to plant it, but after paying back the interest, they earned almost nothing.

It was like they were “working for nothing”. We had to find a way to help them survive.

Agriculture is very hard work and the income isn’t high, so I started working together with the Ministry of Commerce to promote it.

After developing the recipe, we registered for PGI certification. With daily watering and several months of planting fresh soil – our soil became organic.

We need to handle exporting ourselves and also provide help to the surrounding villages.

Our partner farms teach farmers planting methods and provide financial assistance, so the farmers who work with us have very stable incomes.

Narith / Supply Chain Manager, Kampot Pepper Plantation:

We hire the local people. The factory here was built , so we provide them the those good jobs to benefit them.

Also, the sponsor for the kids around here, we have a school and the company also provide them the benefit for studying.

Many tourists will visit here, and that also provide some benefit for the people working here.

The results have been remarkable. 15 years ago, Kampot pepper sold for about ten US dollars per kilo.

Today, it is up to 60.

Luu Meng’s plantation alone produces around 18 tonnes a year, exporting to 49 countries including France, Germany and Italy.

Chef Luu Meng:

Pepper is a very important foundation in cooking.  

When we cooked meals abroad, every appetizer from salads to soup incorporated some form of pepper – even the desserts and cakes had pepper.

Visitors can join free guided tours through the plantation – walking among the vines, watching hand-processing, and tasting fresh pepper straight from the fields.

Blaise / Tourist, France:

I did not know how the pepper grow before, and also how they manage to include the people of the area in the work here.  

It’s really interesting and I think it’s a really good project.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Luu Meng’s pepper plantation does more than boost local incomes and education – it brings visitors from around the world, open doors to global markets, and helps restore the region’s ecological balance. It is a sustainable model designed to support communities for generations to come.