African spices.

Often when we're taught of the Dutch East India Company, we're taught that they went all over the world looking for cash crops & spices. These spices are said to be from Asia or South America but we never hear of spices that precolonial Africans used for their foods. Below is a list of select spices Africans used: 

• Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta): Also known as Guinea grains, these peppery, citrusy seeds are indigenous to West Africa. They were a prized historical trade commodity used to flavor everything from wine to traditional stews. 

• Grains of Selim (Xylopia aethiopica): Also referred to as Uda pods or Guinea pepper, this West and Central African spice has a smoky flavor with herbal, nutmeg, and black pepper notes. The whole pods are often used to flavor soups, stews, and teas. 

• Calabash Nutmeg (Monodora myristica): Native to tropical Africa, this spice offers a warm, musky, and faintly vanilla flavor. It is a vital component in traditional pepper soups and local spice blends. 

• Peri-Peri (Capsicum frutescens): Originating in Southern and East Africa (particularly Mozambique), this fiery chili is the defining ingredient in many local marinades, hot sauces, and spice rubs across the continent. 

• Korarima (Aframomum corrorima): Often called Ethiopian cardamom, this plant is native to the Ethiopian highlands. It is essential for traditional Ethiopian spice blends like Berbere and Mitmita, as well as flavoring coffee and bread. 

• Aiden Fruit (Tetrapleura tetraptera): Commonly known as Prekese in Ghana or Urayi in Nigeria, this pod possesses a sweet, chocolatey, and aromatic profile. It is used to perfume soups and carries notable medicinal properties. 

• Frankincense is an aromatic resin harvested from the Boswellia tree, native to parts of Africa. 

African diet in 1500 B. C.