[Sca-cooks] Grains of Paradise or Not?

[johnna holloway]

A quick browse turned up this--

Melegueta pepper is native to tropical West Africa and grows mainly in 
Ghana. The spice is practically unknown in modern Western cuisine, 
although it was used in Europe in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It 
was a flavouring for the old wine ‘Hippocras” and is still used for the 
production of beer, wine and spirits, and the flavouring of vinegar. 
Meleguetta pepper was generally known as ‘Grains of Paradise’. In fact 
there are two spices, meleguetta pepper and the true Grains of Paradise, 
Aframomum granum paradisi, referred to by this name. the Grain Coast of 
West Africa is named for the spice . . .

Melegueta pepper may be used for culinary purposes and as a substitute 
for pepper in centres of local production. Its use is generally confined 
to West African cookery, though it may also find its way into Moroccan 
ras el hanout combinations. Some ancient European recipes may call for 
it, but pepper mixed with a little ginger may be substituted. . . .
http://pub63.ezboard.com/fcongocookbookfrm12.showMessage?topicID=84.topic

This is almost word for word what is given also in Cooking with Spices 
by Heal and Allsop.

There's a great deal of confusion about this as the next paragraph shows:

It would appear that most authors confuse the two species Aframomum 
granum-paradisi K. Schum. & Aframomum melegueta (Roscoe) K. Schum. and 
identify them both as "grains of paradise". Strictly speaking only A. 
granum-paradisi should be called by that name, A. melegueta should be 
called the "meleguetta pepper" (a wide ranging number of spellings is 
available). We have pointed out the error in English, we invite others 
to sort the names in other languages appropriately and let us know the 
results.
http://gmr.landfood.unimelb.edu.au/Plantnames/Sorting/Aframomum.html

and at least one dictionary just gives up and says:

grains of paradise
pl n  the peppery seeds of either of two African zingiberaceous plants, 
Aframomum melegueta or A. granum-paradisi, used as stimulants, 
diuretics, etc. Also called: guinea grains
http://www.wordreference.com/english/definition.asp?en=grains+of+paradise


Jill Norman's Herbs and Spices which has the color illustrations shows 
the Amomum melegueta under Grains of Paradise and says they are also 
known as melegueta peppers. They look like allspice to me.

My guess is you encountered true melegueta peppers.

Goya lists them as a South and Central American speciality.

Hope this helps.

Johnnae llyn Lewis

mwomack at ix.netcom.com wrote:

> The other day in a large ethnic market here I found Goya brand malagueta
> which I understand is one of the names for grains of paradise.  But they were 
> also called allspice on the label.  Are these the same as the grains of paradise
> I see listed in medieval receipts or another spice entirely?  They were about the 
> size of traditional whole allspice and dark brown.
>  > Ninon