The Original Witch Store

Found also under its Latin name of Aframomum melegueta, or the more common names of Melegueta Pepper, Alligator Pepper, and Guinea grains or Guinea Pepper, Grains of Paradise was quite popular in medieval Europe. There, it was frequently used as a substitute for black pepper, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries, when it was most commonly used in this fashion in the larger population centers of Europe, particularly in Northern France. After this period, people largely stopped using Grains of Paradise in cooking practices, generally leaving it alone unless it was to spice sausages or add to the flavor of beer or gin, though it was taken up by medieval herbalists and doctors as a popular healing agent, and was regarded as a particularly useful treatment for the Humours. In African lore the seeds of Grains of Paradises are also regarded as a spice possessing magical properties, and are frequently spoken of as being of great value for spells of divination as well as rituals intended to determine guilt. In more modern culture, Grains of Paradise is rapidly becoming a popular spice in the culinary world once more, and has been featured as an ingredient by famous chefs and is featured as a flavoring agent in popular beers. Some have also turned to it within certain diets, such as the raw-food diet, as an alternative to Black Pepper and other such spices. This is due to the fact that Grain Of Paradise is generally less harsh to the digestive track than those spices, while providing a very similar flavor. This is a 1 lb packet of Grains of Paradise Seed.