Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Spice guide to Monk's Pepper along with all the Monk's Pepper containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain as a major flavouring.

Monk's Pepper, Vitex agnus-castus (also known as Abraham's Balm, Agnus-castus, Chaste Berry, Chasteberry, Chaste Tree, Hemptree or Vitex) represents the fruit of the Chasteberry tree, a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family of flowering plants. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is a decidusous shrub growing up to 3m tall and 3m in diameter at the widest part. The lilac, hermaphrodite, flowers are born on spiked infloresences and appear from September to October. They are pollinated by insects and the dark fruit sets soon after. Vitex agnus-castus is widely cultivated in warm temperate and subtropical regions for its delicate-textured aromatic foliage and lavender flowers in late summer.

The leaves and tender stem growth of the upper 10cm of he branches, along with the flowers and ripening seeds, are harvested for medicinal purposes. The black berries themselves are harvested by gently rubbing the berries loose from the stem. These have a chocolatey flavour and are consumed as wild food in parts of Africa.

Vitex is mentioned by Pliny the Elder and the genus name derives from the Latin vieo (to pleat or weave) a reference to the use of the tree's flexible branches in constructing woven fences and in basketry. The specific name, agnus-castus is derived from the Greek ἄγνος [agnos], meaning chaste and the Latin castus (again meaning chaste). But the Greek agnos also means 'lamb' in Latin, so that the tree became known as Agnos-castus 'chaste lamb' and was often used by Christian monks as a curative against the evils of the flesh.

The dried berries and dried leaves are used as a spice. They have been used, on a small scale, as a black pepper substitute, but the taste is fairly weak. They have an aromatic overtone, but a weak aroma, are slightly pungent. However, like many pepper substitutes there is a bitter aftertaste (caused by flavinoids).

As a spice, monk's pepper has fallen out of favour, but it is still added to some versions of the classic Moroccan spice blend, Ras el Hanout. It is also being employed in a few modern French recipes, particularly those using fish or seafood and it makes a good addition to fish rubs, particularly if the fish are to be grilled or barbecued.

However, the main use of Monk's pepper is as a herbal remedy, either as an infusion or decoction (it is often made into a tea) and good evidence exists for its effectiveness in the management of of premenstrual stress syndrome (PMS), and cyclical breast pain (mastalgia), though, as with many herbal remedies, it is recommended that it is not taken long-term. Indeed, some caution is advised since excessive doses can cause a nervous disorder known as formication, which manifests as a sensation of insects crawling over the skin.