Aframomum melegueta

The term Grains of Paradise refers to a West African spice obtained from the plant Aframomum melegueta (Ginger family, Zingiberaceae) which gives pungent, peppery flavor. It is also known as Guinea pepper, Melegueta pepper, alligator pepper and Guinea grains.

Aframomum melegueta is a herbaceous perennial plants native to swampy habitats along the West African coast. Its trumpet-shaped, purple flowers develop into 5 to 7 cm long pods containing numerous small, reddish-brown seeds.

The seeds have a pungent, peppery taste due to aromatic ketones, e.g., (6)-paradole (systematic name: 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-decan-3-one). Essential oil, which is the dominating flavor component in the closely related cardamom, occur only in traces.

Grains of paradise are commonly employed in the cooking styles of West Africa and also North Africa, where they have been traditionally imported via caravan routes through the Sahara desert. In Europe, they enjoyed a short peaked popularity in the 14th century, when Portuguese sailors reached West Africa in their first steps to establish a sea route to India. When Vasco da Gama finally reached India in 1498, the new influx of relatively cheap black pepper ended the popularity of grans of paradise in Europe.

In West African folk medicine, grains of paradise are valued for their warming and digestive properties. Grains of paradise have been introduced to the Caribbean islands, where they are used as medicine and for religious ( Voodoo) rites.

Today it is used in the brewing of Samuel Adams Summer Ale and the distilling of Bombay Sapphire gin.

There is also a Malagueta pepper grown in Brazil which is a Capsicum.

The name cardamom (sometimes written cardamon) is used for species within three genera of the Ginger family ( Zingiberaceae), namely Elettaria, Amomum and Aframomum. Cardamom was first used c. 700 CE, in south India; it was first imported into Europe c. 1200 CE. Cardamom is native to the tropical rainforests of South India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Sumatra; it is now also grown in Nepal, Thailand and Central America. Cardamom is also widely used in Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand.


Types of cardamom and their distribution
The three main genera of the ginger family that are named as forms of cardamom are distributed as follows:

Elettaria (commonly called cardamom or green cardamom) is distributed from India to Malaysia;
Amomum (commonly known as Cardamom, Kravan, Java cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Siamese cardamom, White/Green/Red/Black cardamom, Guinea grains or Grains of paradise) is distributed mainly in Asia and Australia;
Aframomum (commonly called Cardamom or Madagascar cardamom) is distributed in mainland Africa and Madagascar.

Various uses of cardamom
All the different cardamom species and varieties are used mainly as cooking spices and as medicines. In general,

fruit and seedsElettaria subulatum (the usual type of cardamom) is used as a spice, a masticatory and in medicine; it is also sometimes smoked; it is used as a food plant by the larva of the moth Endoclita hosei.
Aframomum is used as a spice;
Amomum is used as an ingredient in traditional systems of medicine in China India, Korea and Vietnam.

Uses in traditional medicine
In India, green cardamom (A. subulatum) is broadly used to treat infections in teeth and gums, to prevent and treat throat troubles, congestion of the lungs and pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammation of eyelids and also digestive disorders. It is also reportedly used as an antidote for both snake and scorpion venom.

Species in the genus Amomum is also used in traditional Indian medicine. Among other species, varieties and cultivars, Amomum villosum is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat stomach-aches, constipation, dysentery and other digestion problems. "Tsaoko" cardamom is cultivated in the Yunnan province of China both for medicinal purposes and as a spice.


True Cardamom

Cardamom growing wild in Sikkim, IndiaTrue (or Green) cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a pungent aromatic spice and medicinal herb. It is a perennial plant that can grow to be between six and twelve feet in height. The green seed pods of the plant are dried and the seeds inside the pod are used in Indian and Asian cuisine either whole or in a ground form. Ground cardamom is an ingredient in many Indian curries, and is a primary contributor to the flavour of masala chai. In the Middle East and Iran, cardamom is used to flavour coffee and tea.

Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. It is often used in baking in Scandinavia. One of the most expensive spices by weight, little is needed to impart the flavor. Cardamom is best stored in pod form, because once they are exposed or ground, the seeds quickly lose their flavor.

In India, the states of Sikkim and Kerala are the main producers of cardamom; they rank highest both in cultivated area and in production.