Selim (kani pepper)

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

This (pseudo)pepper from Senegal is a member of the soursop family (Annonaceae). Selimpeper was also in Europe, until the large-scale import of black pepper in the 16th century,  a common pepper known as Negro pepper or Moorish pepper.

The tree on which the pepper grows is the Xylopia, a tropical tree that easily grows to 20 meters high. Xylopia means 'bitter wood', a bitterness that ensures that the wood of the tree is termite-free and can be used perfectly as construction wood. You can also taste this bitterness in the peppers, albeit to a modest extent.

The afterNatural Habitat: Selim grains thrive in fertile, well-drained soils in tropical forest areas. They require plenty of rainfall, usually between 1200 mm and 1600 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. Often the ripe fruits are picked from the trees by hand. Immediately after harvesting, the fruits, stalk and all, are laid out in the sun to dry. Only after drying is the stalk removed from the then dark brown fruit. Each fruit contains five to eight seeds, which look a bit like kidney beans.

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

Cultivation is a combination of traditional farming methods and natural growth. Attempts to grow it on a large scale have so far been unsuccessful.

Smell and taste

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

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

Usage

The pod-shaped fruit is very fibrous and is therefore not eaten itself. To 'free' the seeds and thus use only the least bitter part of the selim pepper, hold the fruit whole briefly over an open fire (flame). Let it cool down a bit. Press or pick the seeds out of the capsule, and then grind them.

Selim is used in (African) stews 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

Assortment

• available in glass and stand-up pouch (no test tubes)
• 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

• separate the seeds and the 'pods', and tie the latter together so that they can be easily removed at the end of a cooking

Save:

• save your  selim pepper in closed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• at least good until June 2026 (06-2026)
• This expiration date is an indication

Batch number

The batch number helps us trace which supply an item originates from. It is stated on the packing slip and the invoice