I loko o ka ʻohana Zingiberaceae nui a ʻano like ʻole, kū hoʻokahi mea kanu no kona ʻono kūʻokoʻa a me kāna mau lāʻau lapaʻau: Aframomum melegueta, i ʻike mau ʻia ʻo ka hua o ka paradaiso a i ʻole ka pepa alligator. Ua hoʻohana ʻia kēia mea ʻala ʻala, no ʻApelika Komohana no nā kenekulia i ka meaʻai kuʻuna ʻApelika a me ka lāʻau lapaʻau.

Me kona ʻanoʻano liʻiliʻi, ʻeleʻele e like me ka peppercorns, hoʻohui ʻo Aframomum melegueta i kahi kīʻaha citrusy i nā kīʻaha, e hāʻawi ana i kahi ʻano ʻono kū hoʻokahi e hoʻokaʻawale iā ia mai nā mea ʻala kaulana ʻē aʻe. Hoʻomoʻa pinepine ʻia nā ʻanoʻano a hoʻolapalapa ʻia ma mua o ka hoʻohui ʻia ʻana i nā stews, soups, a me nā marinades, kahi e hoʻokuʻu ai i ko lākou ʻono ʻono, mahana, a ʻawaʻawa iki.

"He ʻono koʻikoʻi a he ʻano ʻē aʻe nā ʻōpala o ka paradaiso e hiki ke hoʻomehana a hoʻomaha hoʻi," wahi a Chef Marian Lee, he gastronomist kaulana i ʻike i ka meaʻai ʻApelika. "Hoʻohui lākou i kahi ʻala ʻokoʻa e hui pū me nā kīʻaha ʻono a me nā mea ʻono."

Ma waho aʻe o kāna hoʻohana culinary, waiwai nui ʻia ʻo Aframomum melegueta no kāna mau lāʻau lapaʻau. Ua hoʻohana ka poʻe hoʻōla kahiko o ʻApelika i ka mea ʻala e mālama i nā maʻi like ʻole, e like me nā maʻi digestive, ke kuni, a me ka mumū. Ua hōʻike ʻia nā noiʻi hou i ka mea kanu he mau pūhui me nā hana antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, a me nā hana antimicrobial.

ʻOiai ʻo kona kaulana i ʻApelika, ʻaʻole ʻike ʻia nā kīʻaha o ka paradaiso i ka honua Komohana a hiki i ka Middle Ages, i ka wā i ʻike ai nā mea kālepa ʻEulopa i ka mea ʻala i kā lākou ʻimi ʻana ma kahakai o West Africa. Mai ia manawa, ua ʻike mālie ʻia ʻo Aframomum melegueta ma ke ʻano he mea ʻala waiwai, me ka piʻi ʻana o ka noi i nā makahiki i hala iho nei ma muli o ka ulu nui ʻana o ka hoihoi i nā kīʻaha honua a me nā lāʻau lapaʻau kūlohelohe.

Ke hoʻomau nei ka honua i ka ʻike ʻana i nā pono he nui o Aframomum melegueta, manaʻo ʻia e ulu aʻe kona kaulana a me kona koi. Me kona ʻono kūʻokoʻa, nā lāʻau lapaʻau, a me ke ʻano koʻikoʻi o ka mōʻaukala, ʻo kēia mea ʻala exotic e paʻa mau i ka mea nui i nā ʻai ʻApelika a me ka honua no nā kenekulia e hiki mai ana.

No ka 'ike hou aku e pili ana i Aframomum melegueta a me kāna mau noi like 'ole, e kipa i kā mākou punaewele ma www.aframomum.org a i 'ole e leka uila i kou hale kū'ai mea'ai kūikawā no ka la'ana o kēia mea 'ala kupaianaha.