SCENT HUNTERS
Kampot
Chasing Pepper in
Kampot, Cambodia
ADVENTURES
OF A SCENT
HUNTER
KAREN MANHEIMER
VICE PRESIDENT, KERRY
18 | FRAGRANCENOTES.ORG | Issue 1, 2019
Welcome to a new Fragrance Notes
department celebrating the beauty and wonder
of fragrance ingredients and the adventurous
individuals who promote and preserve these
unique scents around the world.
This issue, we’re following the travels of
Karen Manheimer, Vice President of Kerry
and Member of the Fragrance Creators Board
of Directors, in Kampot, Cambodia, known
for its high-quality pepper—some say the best
in the world. This winter, Karen visited an
organic farm, where they make red, white, and
black pepper—each cured differently and with
a distinct flavor and aroma. In regional cuisine,
pepper is used in a variety of ways. Karen and
her group enjoyed crab with fresh green pep-
per and chocolate and pepper ice cream.
“This was my first time in Cambodia and I
was struck by how warm, friendly, and upbeat
the people were,” says Karen. “The Cambo-
dian people have suffered so much over the
last 45 years, experiencing genocide and war,
yet their spirit remains unbroken and they are
incredibly kind and inviting. Ecotourism, like
the pepper plantation I visited, is great for the
community, adding jobs and organic agricul-
tural know-how.”
• Kampot is a city on the Preaek Tuek Chhu
River in southern Cambodia, known for
its pepper plantations and salt fields. The
area’s mineral-rich soil and rainy weather
make it a good fit for pepper production.
• Pepper is a spice commonly used in per-
fumes and flavorings.
• Pepper smells fresh, spicy and peppery,
warm, and woody. FN