Mbongo (pods)

From West Africa come these mbongô 'pods' filled with peppery seeds. Mbongo pepper is also called alligator pepper . The egg-shaped seed pod - it's not a bean, so it's not a pod either - contains seeds that are very similar to the better-known paradise grain.

TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK. WELL PEELED !

Typical citrus aroma that immediately reminds you of lemongrass (sereh). Mbongô is one of the four local peppers in the famous Nigerian pepper soup nwo-nwo.

The mbongô grows on a two meter high shrub from the ginger genus, which has rhizomes like many ginger species. Just above the ground it forms trumpet-shaped, green flowers that seem to come straight out of the ground. They quickly fall off to make way for 10 cm large bottle-shaped fruits.

The fruit pods are filled with dozens of seeds in a jelly-like liquid. Once dried, the papery covering conceals an egg-shaped fruit consisting of apparently scaly segments. With some light pressure, these disintegrate into 3 mm large, shiny, pale brown seeds. Remarkably enough, the intact mbongô has little or no scent, and neither do the seeds. The scent is released as soon as you crush or grind the seeds.

Our mbongô comes from Cameroon, where the spice is used in many famous dishes, such as mbongô tchòbi, fish in black sauce. The spice is also used in other West African countries, such as in Nigeria in pepper soup.

Related spices are the already mentioned corn of paradise (Aframomum melegueta), kororima (Aframomum kororima) and Madagascar cardamom (Aframomum angustifolium). The first is quite common, the second not so, and the third is very rare (unavailable).

Smell and taste

The aroma is determined by a deliciously fresh lemongrass scent (sereh), which disguises the fact that the seeds can be quite peppery. In terms of composition, the essential oil in mbongô is in many ways similar to that of cardamom and ginger. Some of the flavor and aroma essential oils in mbongô are:

• citronellol, the scent of sereh
• afromodial, the unsaturated dialdehyde that causes the sharpness,
• 1,8-cineole, eucalyptol, the refreshing taste of mint
• β-pinene, woody pine scent, as in cumin, pine (pine cone), juniper berry and hemp,
• α-terpineol, sweet floral scent like lilac.
• Sabinene, responsible for the woody, camphor-like flavor of black pepper and nutmeg, among others
• β-myrcene, spicy aroma, with notes of fruits (mango, grape, peach) and mint,
• α-caryophyllene (humulene), hops, as in beer and cannabis
• d-limonene, citrus, orange flavor

Use

You can use Mbongô in literally any dish, even in cooked rice or pasta, but preferably in a palette of West African spices and herbs such as gourd nutmeg, corn of paradise, selim pepper, cubeb pepper, ginger, garlic nut and African mint. All of them are tastemakers from the fascinating West African gastronomy.

Before you open the seed pod (it is not eaten) it is roasted dark brown, allowing the seeds to display their rich aroma. After removing the 'paper' shell from the seed pod, crush the mbongo to release the individual seeds. Remove the remains of the dried jelly.

Attributes:

• 100% fruits of the Aframomum danielli (unpeeled)
• origin: Cameroon

Assortment

• available in glass, pouch and test tube
• glass jar contains 30 grams
• standup pouches with a content of up to 30 to 500 grams
• available in 10 ml test tube (note: peeled)
• larger quantities on request

Gift Wrap

• the jar is available in a tasteful gift box, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper
• for an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the category gift packaging

General advice

• grind the pepper at the last minute to maximize the aroma

Save:

• keep your mbongo pepper in closed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before December 2025 (12/25)
• this best before date is an indication

Do you want to know how this mbongo tastes?

Could you also try a test tube with peeled mbongo. The tube contains enough pepper to penetrate the flavor essence.