There is a spice you get in India which is used for making Calcutta sausages, or something known as Entally sausages. The spice, I believe, looks like a peppercorn with a tail. Can someone tell me what this is called and where can I buy it.

You are describing cubeb pepper, thought to be so named after the French for 'tail', which I think is queue. It is not Indian, AFAIK, and the only place I have seen it (and bought some) is from an African grocers. I'm sure it is available online somewhere.

Lapis, do you use long pepper for anything, and is so, what? I have seen it online and I am thinking of buying some to try out. I once bought grains of paradise and I found that they lost the aroma really quickly.

Sid

I have used long pepper (pipali) in quite a few things, but just to replace black pepper, really.

Grains of paradise are very special, like brown cardamom seeds (same botanical family), and I have used them, too. Can't say they lost pungency too quickly. Like a complex cardamom/pepper cross.

is this the spice that looks like a cross between a clove and a peppercorn? Got it by mistake and have no idea what it's used for.