African pepper was reputed to have come from the Garden of Eden
BEAUTIFUL BOTANICALS: By Joanne Howdle, tour and events co-ordinator at the multi-award-winning Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd.
Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta), also known as African pepper, is a perennial deciduous herb which is native to the tropics and grows in the swampy habitats of the West African coast.
Grains of Paradise belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Its leaves are simple, alternate and lanceolate and the botanical produces pale white flowers with pink or purple edges. The flowers develop into pods, which contain numerous reddish-brown coloured seeds. The seeds are collected and dried for use as a condiment and medicinal herb. The flavour of the seeds is milder and more aromatic than black pepper, with hints of cardamom, citrus, coriander and ginger.
Grains of Paradise seeds were used as a spice by the Romans and were transported west through the Sahara along the caravan routes to Rome. The botanical’s common name dates from the Middle Ages when the seeds were called grana paradisi because of their high commercial value. Medieval spice traders inflated the price of the seeds by claiming they came from a plant that only grew in the Garden of Eden.
Part of the scientific name of Grains of Paradise is thought to derive from the Portuguese word malagueta – literally "chilli pepper". This name is believed to have been given to the seeds of Grains of Paradise by Fernao Gomes, a Portuguese explorer and merchant from Lisbon. In 1469, King Afonso V of Portugal granted Gomes the monopoly of trade in the Gulf of Guinea where the botanical grows.
The seeds of Grains of Paradise subsequently became a popular substitute in Europe for black pepper and were used in a similar way to flavour food and improve the taste of beverages like wine and beer. Queen Elizabeth I flavoured her beer with the seeds of Grains of Paradise.
The first known written reference to the seeds of Grains of Paradise dates from 1214 AD. Around this time physicians from places as far apart as the Frankish Court at Nicosia, Rome, Lyons and Wales included the botanical in medical prescriptions. Although used mainly as a condiment, the seeds of this botanical were taken on board ship, especially slave ships, because they were thought to have a warming effect on the stomach. Therefore, the seeds were used to alleviate indigestion, flatulence and bloating and help to relieve abdominal discomfort.
They were used to flavour food and improve the taste of beverages... Queen Elizabeth I flavoured her beer with the seeds of Grains of Paradise.
The seeds of Grains of Paradise were often used to help reduce or prevent vomiting and to bring relief from nausea, and were thought to prevent dysentery. They were also used as an aphrodisiac! A decoction made from the roots of Grains of Paradise was also used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of disorders including painful menstruation, excessive lactation, postpartum haemorrhage and infertility.
The seeds of Grains of Paradise can be mixed with cinnamon, cloves, coriander and dried chillies as a condiment for grilled chicken, fish and lamb, or added to soups, stews and pickling mixtures. Grains of Paradise seeds along with another botanical used in gin production – orris root – are two of the many ingredients of Ras-el-Hanout, considered to be one of the world’s most complex blends of herbs and spices. In gin manufacture when distilled the seeds of Grains of Paradise produce a menthol-pepper flavour that intensifies and adds a depth to the flavour profile of the spirit and extends the finish by bringing a fragrant lingering spice to the gin.
