Guinea grains
Aframomum exscapum

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family plant. It is a herb with stems 1-2 m high. The leaves are on the upper part of the leafy stems. The flowers are white with some pink colour and they have a yellow throat. The fruit are hairy and red. They have deep corrugates along them. The seeds are black and shiny.

There are about 50 Aframomum species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinée, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, West Africa

How it is used for food

The fruit are used as a spice. The seeds are pungent. The leaves are cooked and eaten.

Edible parts

Seeds, spice, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Alligator pepper, Dadi-gogo, Grains of paradise, Kable, Miekoteh, Moukoule

Synonyms

Aframomum cuspidatum (Gagnep.) K. Schum.; Aframomum leonense K. Schum.; Aframomum oleraceum A. Chev.; Alexis bifurca Salisb.; Amomum cuspidatum Gagnep.; Amomum exscapum Sims;