FOOD&SPICES

Korarima (grain)

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€8,10 EUR

€135,00 kg

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Corarima is the seed of the plant of the same name, which is called corrorima in Ethiopia. It is also called 'false cardamom'. It is an essential ingredient in famous Ethiopian spice blends such as berbere and mitmata.

The Korarima plant belongs to the plant genus Aframomum, which has about fifty species that all grow on the African continent. It is, like mbongo and grain of paradise, a ginger-like plant. The plant grows like all plants in the ginger family in a warm, moist environment and likes some shade. Naturally comes korarima for an altitude of 1,700-2,000 meters.

The plant grows to about two meters high and has elongated and pointed leaves, like bamboo. Close to the ground trumpet-shaped flowers form from January to September, which seem to come directly from the ground. They stand on stalks on the underground rootstock (rhizome).

The White to light purple flowers often fall off on the same day they appear, to make way for large reddish-brown pods. The moment at which this happens varies by location. The flowering period in Kefa in Ethiopia, for example, is from June to July. The pods ripen there in the months of September and October.

It takes three years for a plant to produce a usable harvest. From then on, the plant can be harvested for four years in a row. The pods are picked when they are ripe. They contain red-brown seeds in a jelly-like liquid. Only a modest portion is sold fresh, a portion is laid out in the sun to dry.

Korarima is widely available in markets in the Horn of Africa, and is quite expensive there compared to other spices and herbs. Korarima is a popular spice in West African cuisine, including Cameroon and Senegal. Related spices include grain of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) and Madagascar cardamom (Aframomum angustifolium). The former is fairly common, the latter very rare.

Smell and taste

In korarima the flavors of green and big (violet) cardamom united. Korarima is a bit sweeter than green cardamom, and like black cardamom, has a menthol aroma. The aroma is otherwise characterized as that of nutmeg, hence the alternative name nutmeg-cardamom.

The seeds contain 1-2% essential oil, in which the main flavor components are

alpha-humulene, (31.3%), 'hoppy' as in hops
humulene oxide (26.4%),
caryophyllene oxide (17.9%), spicy and woody, like cinnamon and cloves
beta-caryophyllene (8.5%), sweet, woody, also in cloves, and
linalool (5.7%), responsible for the scents of rosewood and coriander

Korarima is less peppery than the related corn of paradise (Aframomum melegueta). The pungency comes from zingerone, [6]-paradol, [6]-gingerol, and [8]-gingerol, all characteristic of the fruits of plants in the Aframomum genus and gingers in general.

Usage

Except in combination with other spices in spice mixtures such as berbere and mitmata, a mixture of bird's eye chili, coral and cloves. In Ethiopia, Korarima is used both fresh and dried in wots, in many sauces, such as chow, but also as a flavouring in (Ethiopian) coffee, tea and bread.Other applications include:

niter kibbeh (spiced butter),
kitfo, raw minced meat with mitmata,
shirowat, a puree of chickpea flour and
maafe, west african chicken in peanut sauce

Grind or crush the seeds shortly before use, after first roasting them briefly.

Korarima is a fantastic botanical for your gin and tonic due to its unique aromas. With the pleasant sharpness of paradise grain.

Features:

100% seeds of the Aframomum corrode
origin: Ethiopia

Assortment

available in glass, stand-up pouch and test tube
glass jar contains 60 grams
stand-up pouches with a capacity of up to 30 to 500 grams
available in 10 ml test tube
larger quantities on request

Gift wrapping

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

General advice