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Nepalese Sil Timur Berry by the Kilo
Discover Nepalese Sil Timur berries available by the kilo, a rare botanical spice belonging to the Lauraceae family. Often mistaken for a pepper, this tender reddish-orange seed delivers a vibrant burst of fresh citrus flavor without any fiery heat. Offered in bulk by the kilo, it provides an ideal wholesale option for restaurants, caterers, and culinary artisans.
Harvested in high-altitude mountain regions of Nepal at around 2,000 meters, Sil Timur berries grow on the wild climbing shrub Lindera Neesiana. Traditionally hand-gathered, these unique seeds maintain a surprisingly soft, tender texture that preserves their volatile essential oils for long-lasting fresh bulk storage.
On the nose, it exudes an unmistakable citrus fragrance blending blood orange, kumquat, lemon, and mandarin with subtle spicy undertones. On the palate, it opens with a smooth, warm sweetness before finishing on fresh, gently bitter and minty notes. Since it carries zero heat, it seamlessly enhances savory recipes like tajines, stews, seafood, and sauces as well as sweet creations like fruit tarts and dark chocolate desserts.
- Spice Strength: 1/10 (Non-spicy, intensely aromatic)
- Aromatic Profile: Blood orange, kumquat, lemon, mandarin, and fresh minty notes
- Uses: Middle Eastern dishes, seafood, stews, sauces, fruit desserts, and chocolate
- Origine: Nepal (High-altitude mountains)
- Botanical Family: Lauraceae (Lindera Neesiana)
- Format: Whole tender berries (Sold by the kilo)
With its captivating citrus bouquet and gentle character, Sil Timur berry is an exceptional alternative to traditional citrus peppers. Buying by the kilo offers a practical, cost-effective wholesale solution for professional kitchens seeking original signature flavors.
Experience the finest harvest of Nepalese Sil Timur berries at the best price per kilo with Le Comptoir de Toamasina.
A lemon that does not cook
Citrus scent without the acidity: it does not "cook" raw fish, does not split a cream and holds up on the plate.
A very low cost per plate
About 1 g is enough for a plate, under 10 cents at €89 a kilo, for an ingredient guests notice.
A contact, not a catalogue
You order from Arnaud, who tastes every batch and answers your technical questions himself.
Sil Timur by the kilo is aimed first at professionals: chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders, caterers and delicatessens. It is the berry of Lindera neesiana, a small tree of the Nepalese forests from the Lauraceae family, the family of bay laurel and cinnamon. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with Timut berry: no electric effect on the tongue, but a scent of lemon, lemongrass and mandarin, with a eucalyptus freshness.
In a professional kitchen, it meets a precise need: bringing citrus where juice and zest cause problems. Juice sours, cooks raw produce and splits emulsions; zest darkens and dries out at the pass. Sil Timur is dosed by the gram, keeps for months and gives the same result at every service. To try it before ordering the kilo, it is also available as a 45 g jar and 200 g pouch.
Comparative Sensory Analysis
Sil Timur vs Voatsiperifery vs Verbena Berry
Our tasting profile: three citrus spices for the menu
Sil Timur · Voatsiperifery · Verbena
The Taste Pyramid of Sil Timur
What your guests perceive, bite after bite
Technical sheet
What you receive
- Botanical nameLindera neesiana (Lauraceae family)
- OriginCentral and eastern Nepal, Himalayan forests
- IngredientsSil Timur berry
- Packaging1 kg pouch
- FormWhole dried berries
- Strength1/10 — no heat, no tingle
- Main notesLemon, lemongrass, mandarin, eucalyptus freshness
- UseGround or crushed to order, raw, at the pass, infused or in pastry
- StorageDry, away from light and heat, in an airtight container
- AllergensNone
- Preparation / DeliveryPrepared within 24h - Delivered within 48h
Arnaud's view: why I offer it to professionals
I founded Le Comptoir de Toamasina in 2010, after my first trip to Madagascar. Many customers still know me by the nickname "Arnaud Vanille", but my range has grown to peppers and berries from around the world, and I have worked with professionals since 2012. What they expect from me is a product that stays consistent from one batch to the next, and a contact who knows what he sells.
I select Sil Timur in France, through my importer. Before approving a batch, I check three things. The nose first, when I open the bag: the lemon must be immediate, with no dusty smell. Then the colour: dark, even berries, with no debris. Finally the taste, on raw fish with a drizzle of olive oil: the citrus must come through clearly, followed by mandarin, with no bitterness. And I always check that it does not tingle: Sil Timur and Timut are sometimes confused in the trade, and this is the surest test.
I recommend it above all to menus built around raw dishes, fish and fruit desserts. It is easy to present in the dining room: "a berry from Nepal, a cousin of bay laurel, with the scent of lemon but none of its acidity". And few restaurants offer it, which makes it a real signature.
In the professional kitchen: how to use it
- Mise en place: grind or crush only what you need for the service. The citrus scent is volatile: powder prepared the day before has already lost part of its nose.
- Toasting: one minute in a hot dry pan, then the mortar. The mandarin comes forward and the citrus rounds out: ideal for sauces and cooked dishes.
- At the pass: on raw dishes, a few berries crushed at the last moment replace zest, without darkening or drying out.
- Cost per plate: at €89 a kilo, 1 g per plate comes to under 10 cents.
- Reference dose: about 1 g per portion in savoury dishes; 3 to 5 g per litre to flavour a cream, a syrup or a sauce, adjusted to taste.
- Infusion: the whole berries infuse well when hot in cream, milk or syrup. Strain before use.
Menu ideas
Raw seafood
Sea bream carpaccio, sea bass tartare or raw scallops: olive oil, flaky sea salt and Sil Timur crushed at the pass. The lemon scent is there, but the flesh stays pearly, just as when it was sliced.
Beurre blanc and emulsified sauces
Infuse a few berries in the reduction of your beurre blanc, strain, then mount with butter. You get a lemony sauce with no risk of splitting, stable throughout service.
Pastry and fruit desserts
Crème anglaise, panna cotta or white chocolate ganache infused with whole berries; shortbread or sweet pastry with a touch of ground Sil Timur; strawberry or mango salad finished at the last moment.
At the bar
Craft gin distillers use it as a signature botanical. For cocktails, a sugar syrup infused with Sil Timur lifts a gin and tonic, a house lemonade or an alcohol-free cocktail. A few whole berries in the glass also make an attractive garnish.
In delicatessens
The 1 kg pouch lets you repack into small jars. It is a spice that intrigues: a short label (berry from Nepal, lemon and mandarin, no heat) is enough to sell it.
A spice from the Nepalese hills
For a professional who needs to present this berry, here are the essentials. In Nepal, the word "timur" refers to the aromatic berries of hill cooking. Sil Timur is one of them, used especially in the east of the country. The tree grows in the humid forests of central and eastern Nepal, between 1,500 and 2,700 metres above sea level.
There, it is ground with grilled tomatoes, garlic and chilli to make achar, the condiment served with dal bhat, or added to curries. Its arrival on European tables is recent, and it remains rare: one more argument for a menu that wants to stand out.
Frequently asked questions from professionals
What is the price per kilo?
The 1 kg pouch costs €89. For larger quantities or regular orders, contact me for a quote.
How should I store an opened 1 kg pouch?
Divide the berries into small airtight containers, away from light and heat, and open one at a time. Keep the berries whole and grind to order.
Is it a pepper?
No. It is the berry of Lindera neesiana, from the Lauraceae family. It is used like a finishing pepper, but its appeal is its citrus scent, not its strength.
How is it different from Timut berry?
Timut, a Zanthoxylum, makes the tongue tingle with a grapefruit scent. Sil Timur smells of lemon, lemongrass and mandarin, and does not tingle at all: it suits desserts and guests who dislike strong sensations better.
Can it go in a food processor?
Yes, in small batches and to order. A mortar is still the simplest way to keep a coarse grind for finishing.
Can you provide a technical sheet?
Yes, on request, with the batch number of your order.
« Citrus without the acidity: a Nepalese berry that scents raw dishes, sauces and desserts. »
Discover our rare peppers and berriesLindera neesiana · Nepal · €89 per kilo · Larger volumes on quote · Selected by Arnaud Sion
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