Selim Pepper (whole)

Xylopia aethiopica

---

Selim pepper is possibly the rarest spice we have sourced for some time, it’s bound to please the pepper fans. It also goes by the names; African pepper, Ethiopian pepper, Grains of Selim, Guinea pepper, kimba pepper, negro pepper and Senegal pepper. This little pod, about the same size as a long pepper, comes to us from Western Africa and this pepper is generally used in the same way as black pepper, Sichuan pepper or grains of paradise. Like Sichuan pepper, most of the camphor-like, numbing, medicinal flavor is in the pod itself and the seeds actually have very little flavor by comparison. For this reason the whole or ground pod is most commonly added to cooking to get the most out of the taste. Although Selim pepper tastes quite medicinal on its own, when combined with rich, gamey or very fatty ingredients, it has the effect of cutting the rich, cloying flavors of these foods.

Botanical Name	Xylopia aethiopica
Common Names	African pepper, Ethiopian pepper, Grains of Selim, Uda Pods, Guinea pepper, kimba pepper, negro pepper and Senegal pepper