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The history of Chu Se pepper began in the 80s of the last century¹ when people planted it and developed it into a highly profitable commercial product. The cultivation of pepper plants has created many jobs and brought the main source of income for thousands of farmers in the Chu Se district. In the Central Highlands provinces, the Chu Se district of Gia Lai province is one of the districts with the largest pepper area in the region². From 2008 to 2020, Chu Se pepper is known for being the agricultural product with the highest yield in the country.

Chu Se pepper is not only consumed domestically but also exported to some other countries around the world, including the European Union and the US³.

Chu Se pepper constists of 3 different types: green pepper, black pepper, and white pepper. Chu Se pepper is large and uniform. Green pepper has a diameter of 4.45 - 5.85 mm, black pepper from 3.85 - 5.65 mm, and white pepper from 3.65 - 5.43 mm.

Chu Se pepper has a strong aroma and a spicy taste, which is shown by its weight, Piperin content, and high volatile oil content. Green pepper weights 589 - 638 g/l, Piperin content from 5.89 - 6.35%, volatile essential oil content of 1.53 - 1.76%; Black pepper weights 558 - 592 g/l, Piperin content from 6.59 - 7.36%, volatile essential oil content from 1.84 - 2.20%; White pepper weights 616 - 651g/l, Piperin content from 7.05 - 7.42%, volatile oil content from 2.01 - 2.28%.

The specific properties and quality of Chu Se pepper are atributed to the relationship between natural geographical conditions and traditional production techniques of people in the geographical area.

Chu Se district is a land with special natural geographical conditions suitable for the development of pepper plants. This is a flat or slightly sloping basalt red land located at an average altitude of 700-800m above sea level. This type of soil is close to the craters, the lava is rich in clay-like minerals, and the soil layer is thick, well-drained, and the soil is fertile.

Besides the soil, the climate of the geographical area also has many factors that affect the specific properties and quality of Chu Se pepper. The level of humidity of the geographical area is from 80 - 90%, high humidity will facilitate the pollination process easily (pollen seeds easily stick to the stigma) and long pollination time, the stigma is enlarged, which is favorable for fruit production with high fruit setting rate. The embryo will grow larger, making the average grain diameter of the Chu Se pepper relatively large. In addition, the temperature range between day and night in the geographical area is relatively large, from 8 to 10oC, making the metabolism process longer, and the period of creating the aroma and spicy taste of pepper will be longer.

The season of pepper plants to flower and produce fruit coincides with the dry season that lasts from December of the previous year to April of the following year in the geographical area. Less rain is a favorable condition for pepper plants to differentiate flower buds and bloom concentratedly, easily forming and storing, and condensing nutrients in the fruit. The time to harvest pepper often coincides with the dry season, so the drying and preservation of pepper products are convenient.

Unlike the Quang Tri pepper agricultural area, which only uses live pillars⁴, the parallel use of both live pillars or mixed pillars (dead and live pillars) with shade trees is a traditional farming method in the Chu Se district to help Chu Se pepper have a high yield. In addition, the removal of branches helps the remaining branches have full nutrients and better growth. The farmers here only use native pepper varieties because these variety has been evaluated as productive and of high quality, suitable to the climate and soil characteristics of the Chu Se region.

Geographical area: Ia Tiem commune, Chu Pong commune, Ia Glai commune, Bo Ngoong commune, Al Ba commune, Ia Hlop commune, Ia Blang commune, Ia Pal commune, Ia Ko commune and Chu Se town, Chu Se district, Gia province Lai.

¹ http://agro.gov.vn/vn/tID17131_Thuong-hieu-ho-tieu-Chu-Se.html

² http://iasvn.org/tin-tuc/Lich-su-phat-trien-&-vung-trong-ho-tieu-o-Viet-Nam-8194.html

³ http://agro.gov.vn/vn/tID17131_Thuong-hieu-ho-tieu-Chu-Se.html

⁴ https://www.ipvietnam.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/-/asset_publisher/7xsjBfqhCDAV/content/sua-oi-chi-dan-ia-ly-quang-tri-cho-san-pham-hat-ti-2/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_7xsjBfqhCDAV_viewMode=print

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