FRESH GREEN PEPPERCORNS: In late summer and early fall, fragrant, fresh green peppercorns, still on the vine, are harvested in Vietnam, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Brazil. Andrea Brockie, owner of Selsi Sea Rocks in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, brings three shipments of this hot commodity in from Vietnam every year. The flavour is outstanding – imagine the difference between fresh and dried herbs. “All the essential, volatile oils are still intact, so when you bite down, there’s a burst of very complex flavours: sweet, heat, peppery, green,” says Brockie. Customers include chef Jason Cox of Opus, who blends them with butter for a steak topper and whisks them into brandied peppercorn sauce. Brockie says the cluster should stay green and chewy for about 12 days, at which point you should use them up, freeze them or let them dry. And don’t put them in a grinder – just chop, smash, crush or use whole. $4.50 per ounce at Selsi Sea Rocks, St. Lawrence Market, 416-854-9088, selsisearocks.com. – Signe LangfordMarilyn Cornwell