Guinea pepper is a name for several unrelated
pepper-like
spice
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
s traded from the general region of
West Africa
West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
:
*
Grains of paradise (''Aframomum melegueta''), from the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), also known as grains of paradise, melegueta pepper, alligator pepper, Guinea grains, ''ossame'', ‘‘ataré’’in Yoruba land, ''fom wisa'', and (ambiguously) Guinea pepper
*
Grains of Selim
Grains of Selim are the seeds of a shrubby tree, '' Xylopia aethiopica'', found in Africa. The seeds have a musky flavor and are used as a spice in a manner similar to black pepper, and as a flavouring agent that defines , the dominant style of ...
, also known as Kani pepper, Senegal pepper, Ethiopian pepper, Moor pepper, Negro pepper, , , , , , , ''kimba'', ''kili'', and (ambiguously) Guinea pepper
** ''
Xylopia aethiopica'' from the custard apple family (Annonaceae), primary source of the spice most commonly known in the West as grains of Selim
** ''
Xylopia striata'', a closely related source of grains of Selim, with larger seed pods
* ''
Piper guineense'' from the pepper family (Piperaceae), also known as West African pepper, Ashanti pepper, Benin pepper, false cubeb, Guinea cubeb, ''kale'', ''kukauabe'', ''masoro'', ''sasema'', ''soro wisa'', and ''uziza''
{{Plant common name