Selim (kani pepper)

Selim pepper, also known as selim kani or kani pepper pepper is the dried fruit of a tree closely related to the custard apple. It is therefore not a 'real' pepper. pepperThe taste is described as a marriage between a cubebpepper and nutmeg.

This (pseudo)pepperpepper from Senegal is a member of the soursop family (Annonaceae). Selimpepper pepper was also in Europe, until the large-scale import of black pepperpepper in the sixteenth century, usualy pepper known by the name negropepper or Moorish pepperpepper.

The tree on which the pepper selim pepper grows is the Xylopia, a tropical tree that easily reaches 20 meters in height. Xylopia means 'bitter wood', a bitterness that ensures the tree's wood is termite-free and excellent for use as construction timber. You can also taste this bitterness in the pepper itselfpeppers, albeit to a modest extent.

The natural habitat: Selim trees thrive on fertile, well-drained soil in tropical forest areas. They require a lot of rain, usually between 1,200 mm and 1,600 mm per year, and are often found along riverbanks or in moist areas with high humidity. The selim trees are not fertilized or watered.

Harvesting takes place twice a year. The ripe fruits are often picked from the trees by hand. Immediately after harvesting, the fruits, stem and all, are laid out in the sun to dry. Only after drying is the stem removed from the fruit, which by then has turned dark brown. Each fruit contains five to eight seeds, which outwardly bear some resemblance to kidney beans.

Selim, sometimes referred to as Guinea pepper pepper, has many, many names on the African continent, including uda hwentia or kimba pepper In African and especially Nigerian cuisine, in which not only the seed but also the whole dried fruit is used. It is tied together with other herbs in a 'bouquet garni' for use in stews. The capsule smells of rosewood and also has lavender and coriander aromas.

The cultivation is a combination of traditional farming methods and natural growth. Attempts to cultivate it on a large scale have so far proven largely unsuccessful.

Scent and taste

The seeds contain volatile oils that provide the aromas of eucalyptus and nutmeg, which are released as soon as the seeds are ground. They have a slightly bitter taste, as mentioned. Selimpepper is (very) rich in vitamin A.

• sabinene, responsible for the woody, camphor-like flavor of black pepper and nutmeg
• α- and β-pinene, woody pine scent, as in cumin, pine (pine cone), juniper and hemp,
• β-phellandrene, mint, turpentine,
• 1,8-cineol, eucalyptol, the refreshing taste of mint
• terpine-4-ol, woody and pepperig aroma
• geranyl acetate, responsible for the rose and lavender scent.

Usage

The pod-shaped fruit is very fibrous and is therefore not eaten itself. To 'free' the seeds from the somewhat bitter outer part, hold the fruit whole briefly over an open fire (flame). Let it cool down for a moment. Then press or pick the seeds out of the shell, and grind them, shortly before use.

Selim pepper is used in (African) stews, among other things, and in roasted form for the preparation of Touba coffee.Selim is delicious in combination with goat meat!

Recipes):

Features:

• 100% berries of the Xylopia aethiopica
• origin: Senegal

Aassortment

• available in glass (45 grams), stand-up pouch (various weight classes) and sample sachet
• larger quantities than shown on request

Save

• batch number **DM590407
• best before May 2028 (05-2028)

General advice

• Separate the seeds and the 'pods', and tie the latter together to easily remove them at the end of preparation.