Good question — this mix-up comes up a lot! When customers say 'Thai long pepper,' they're almost always picturing makhwaen (also spelled mak khaen or mak waen), the citrusy, tingling dried berry from Northern Thailand and Laos that's central to Isan and Lao cooking. It isn't a true peppercorn, and it's a different plant from Indian long pepper (Piper longum), which has a hotter, more earthy flavor rather than that floral tingle.
So if they want both the 'Thai long pepper' idea and makhwaen itself, one product covers it: Thai/Lao Makhwaen Peppers.
- Lightly toast the dried berries in a dry pan for about a minute until fragrant.
- Grind coarsely with a mortar and pestle rather than a fine powder.
- Use it in laab and other Isan dishes for that signature lemony, tingling bite — think of it as a lighter, citrusier cousin of Sichuan pepper.
- Start small: about 1/2 teaspoon toasted and ground per dish, then adjust to taste.