''Aframomum corrorima'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the ginger family,

Zingiberaceae Zingiberaceae () or the ginger family is a family of flowering plants made up of about 50 genera with a total of about 1600 known species of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes distributed throughout tropical ...

. It is an herbaceous

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

that produces leafy stems 1–2 meters tall from rhizomatous roots. The alternately-arranged leaves are dark green, 10–30 cm long and 2.5–6 cm across, elliptical to oblong in shape. Pink

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are borne near the ground and give way to red, fleshy

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

s containing shiny brown

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s, which are typically 3–5 mm in diameter. The spice, known as Ethiopian cardamom, false cardamom, or ''korarima'', is obtained from the plant's seeds (usually dried), and is extensively used in

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

and Eritrean cuisine. It is an ingredient in '' berbere'', '' mitmita'', ''awaze'', and other spice mixtures, and is also used to flavor

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

. Its flavor is comparable to that of the closely related '' Elettaria cardamomum'' or green cardamom. In Ethiopian

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

, the seeds are used as a tonic, carminative, and laxative. The plant is native to

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

, western

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

(in the vicinity of Lake Tana and Gelemso), southwestern

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

, western

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

. It is cultivated in both Ethiopia and

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

, although the fruits are typically harvested from wild plants. The dried fruits are widely sold in markets and are relatively expensive, while fresh fruits are sold in production areas. In dried seeds and pods, the major oil components are 1,8-cineole ( eucalyptol) and (E)- nerolidol. Cited in Eyob ''et al'' (2007), p. 373. In fresh seeds, the major component of the essential oil is 1,8-cineole, followed by sabinene and geraniol. In fresh pods, the major oil constituents are ''γ''- terpinene, ''β''-pinene, ''α''- phellandrene, 1,8-cineole, and ''p''-cymene. File:KororimaWhole02.jpg, ''Korarima'' fruits are placed in a vessel for grinding. File:KororimaGround.jpg, ''Korarima'' pods have been ground so that the seeds may be removed.

References

External links

Ecocrop: Aframomum corrorima
(

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...

) corrorima Plants described in 1848 Plants used in traditional African medicine Flora of Ethiopia Flora of Sudan Flora of Tanzania Flora of Uganda Crops originating from Ethiopia Spices Ethiopian cuisine Eritrean cuisine Taxa named by Alexander Braun {{spice-stub

See also

References

External links