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 is not a bean, so not a pod - contains seeds that are very similar to the better-known grain of paradise.

Typical for mbongo is the 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, like many ginger species, has rhizomes. Just above the ground it forms trumpet-shaped, green flowers, which seem to come straight from the ground. They quickly fall off to make room for large bottle-shaped fruits.

The pods are filled with dozens of seeds in a jelly-like liquid. Once dried, the papery covering reveals an egg-shaped fruit consisting of apparently scaled segments. With a little light pressure, these fall apart into 2-3 mm large, shiny, pale brown seeds. Curiously enough, the intact pod smells  mbongo not or hardly, and neither are the seeds. The smell 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 include the aforementioned grain of paradise (Aframomum melegueta), kororima (Aframomum kororima), and Madagascar cardamom (Aframomum angustifolium). The first is fairly common, the second not so much, and the third is very rare (not available).

Not just for eating!

A little bit  bruised  mbongo ,   a hint of cardamom and a piece of citrus peel  serve together as a welcome  on various occasions and ceremonies in both Yoruba and Igbo cultures.  You can the  unopened pods but already  have in house!

Smell and taste

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

• citronellol, the scent of lemongrass
• afromodial, the unsaturated dialdehyde that causes the sharpness,
• 1,8-cineole, eucalyptol, the refreshing taste of mint
• β-pinene, woody pine odor, as in cumin, pine (cone), juniper and hemp,
• α-terpineol, sweet floral scent like lilac.
• sabinene, responsible for the woody, camphor-like taste of black pepper and nutmeg, among other things
• 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 aroma

Usage

Mbongô can literally be used in any dish, even in cooked rice or pasta, but preferably in a palette of West African spices and herbs such as calabash nutmeg, grain of paradise, selim pepper, cubeb pepper, ginger, garlic nut and African mint. Each and every one of them flavour enhancers from the fascinating West African gastronomy.

Before opening the seed pod (which is not eaten), it is roasted to a dark brown, which allows the seeds to display their rich aroma. After removing the 'papery' skin of the seed pod, crush the mbongo, which releases the individual seeds. Remove the membranes, remnants of the dried jelly, by discarding the 'dirty' seeds  rubbing between your hands and blowing away the membranes.

Features:

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

Assortment

• available in glass  and stand-up pouch 
• glass jar contains  45 grams - about 7 pods
• stand-up pouches with a capacity of up to 30 to 500 grams
• also available in 10 ml test tube (note: only peeled)
• 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

• grind the pepper at the last moment to make the most of the aroma

Save:

• store your mbongo pepper in closed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• at least good until September 2027 (09/27)
• This expiration date is an indication

Would you like to know what this mbongo tastes like?

You can also try a test tube with peeled mbongo. The tube contains enough pepper to fathom the flavor essence.