alligator-pepper

Aframomum melegueta, described by K.Schum. in 1904, is part of the Zingiberaceae family. The plant is native to countries such as Angola, Benin, Cameroon, and others in West and Central Africa, as well as parts of the Caribbean. The seeds of this plant are used as a spice, offering a pungent, black-pepper-like flavor with citrus undertones. It is also known by several other names, including melegueta pepper, Guinea grains, ossame, and fom wisa. The species is sometimes confused with alligator pepper. The terms African pepper and Guinea pepper have also been applied to this plant, though they can refer to other spices such as grains of Selim.