Melegueta pepper or grains of paradise, is a spice with a sometimes limited, sometimes complicated history. In West Africa where it originates, it goes by many different names, which are dependent on tribe, language, and geographic location. Some of its contemporary uses much like its historical ones, include flavoring alcoholic beverages such as Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire Gin and Sam Adam’s Pale Ale. And yet, it is a spice that is still relatively unknown (in some parts) which begs the question how, especially when its valorization historically was the equivalent of gold (if not more).
In Archaeology, Language, and the African Past, Blench highlights a problem that may have contributed to this. Firstly, he suggests that early writings on agriculture and the domestication of plants largely ignores Africa, and so many of the continent’s indigenous crops remain poorly known. He argues that this “leads to an unbalanced picture of the cultigen repertoires in traditional agriculture and a tendency to underestimate the significance of minor crops in prehistory” (Blench 203). Secondly, in addition to the complex matter of languages and their diversity in Africa, he notes that one of the “most vexing problems in the reconstruction of plant names in African languages is the transfer of names between wild and cultivated varieties of plants” (Blench 207). He offers that although linguistics can help us fill some gaps, it is not without its limitations. I would also add that indigenous names are not taken into account. Different countries, regions, and tribes will typically have different names for the same things.
In speaking of linguistics, it is important for us to understand the etymology of Melegueta pepper (Aframomum melegueta), which is a spice of many names. Osseo and Abena suggest that in “the very diversity of names for this group of plants, we see a hint of their distribution across time and space” (Osseo and Abena 74). Aframomum comes from the word Africa and Greek Amomon (which is attributed to cardamom). But for the melegueta portion of its name, there is much speculation. In Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey, Nabhan writes:
“Once the Portuguese trading fleets ventured south of Morocco and Mauritania, they began to gain more direct access to the spice, which then, as now, went by several names. The term melegueta has uncertain origin, but it may be somehow linked to meligo, Italian for “millet,” or to Málaga, the ancient Phoenician port on the Andalusian coast across from Morocco. Another hypothesis is that it refers to the stinging and numbing sensations it produces, likening it to the effect one feels when stung by the malagua, or jellyfish, of coastal Africa” (Nabhan 172).
So, despite the varied speculations, the origin of the term remains both unclear and unknown. But how about the name grains of paradise, which is also used to mean melegueta pepper? Nabhan claims, that “despite the wide acceptance of the spice elsewhere, the Portuguese must have felt that they needed to dress up its label for the European market (where it was only marginally known), so they gave it two new names, sementes-do-paraíso and grãos-do-paraíso” (Nabhan 172). These two names translate to seeds of paradise, and grains of paradise respectively. You see, the Portuguese who were expert sailors, began the search in the 15thcentury, for a substitute for black pepper (Piper nigrum), which was considered rare at the time, and so begins the connection to melegueta pepper.
TAXONOMIC CONFUSION: The genus Aframomum has approximately 50 species, including melegueta pepper (Aframomum melegueta), and perhaps therein lies the confusion. “For over two centuries there has been discussion as to whether more than one species was being used as grains-of-paradise and as to the botanical identity of the species, which has never been conclusively settled. The fact that several popular names have been in widespread use has added to the confusion, for the seeds are also known by the Portuguese word for a spice or curry variously spelled melegueta, milleguetta, malaguetta and, by corruption, alligator pepper” (Hepper 129). This confusion is further perpetuated by the fact that Amomum is sometimes used synonymously with Aframomum. Amomum is a genus of plants that are native to Asia and Australasia, the most popular species of which is black cardamom (Amomum subulatum). Although both are from a different genus, they share the same family – Zingiberaceae.
Melegueta pepper is sometimes confused with the following:
- Grains of Selim (Xylopia aethiopica)– which is of Ethiopian origin, and are found in the savanna region of various African countries. It is also, used to make the popular Senegalese coffee drink called café Touba.
- Guinea pepper as it turns out is a name given to unrelated species that sometimes includes Aframomum melegueta, but is really West African black pepper (Piper guineense).
- Alligator pepper (Aframomum danielli, Aframomum citratum, Aframomum exscapum)- this is a close relative of melegueta pepper and is made up of these three species.
- Malagueta pepper (Capsicum frutescens), bears no relation to melegueta pepper.
What also adds to the confusion, is that the seeds of these spices bear remarkable resemblance, but differ perhaps in flavor profile. Melegueta pepper’s flavor profile is described as having a “crunchy texture of the seeds has been likened to the woodiness of cracked black pepper, with its gingerols leaving a slightly numbing piquancy in the mouth reminiscent of cloves” (Nabhan 171).
WORKS CITED
Blench, Roger. 2006. Archaeology, Language, and the African Past. Altamira Press.
Hepper. N.F. 1967. The Identity of Grains-of-Paradise and Melegueta Pepper (Aframomum, Zingiberaceae) in West Africa. Kew Bulletin, 21(1): 129-37.
Lebovitz, David. 2018. The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated: 200 Recipes for Ice Creams, Sorbets, Gelatos,
Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. Ten Speed.
Nabhan, Gary Paul. 2014. Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey. University of California Press.
Osseo-Asare, Abena Dove Agyepoma. 2014. Bitter Roots: The Search for Healing Plants in Africa. University of Chicago Press.