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Glite Dictionary
Aframomum melegueta

Aframomum melegueta

9.9
A West African plant whose spicy seeds are used to flavor food
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Aframomum melegueta
  • The seeds of Aframomum melegueta are often used to add a spicy flavor to West African dishes.

Examples

  • In gourmet cuisine, chefs sometimes substitute Aframomum melegueta for black pepper to achieve a unique taste.

  • The chef added Aframomum melegueta to the dish for extra flavor.

  • Traditional medicine utilizes Aframomum melegueta for its purported therapeutic properties.

  • Have you ever tried Aframomum melegueta in your cooking?

  • In gourmet cuisine, chefs sometimes substitute Aframomum melegueta for black pepper to achieve a unique taste.

  • The seeds of Aframomum melegueta are often used to add a spicy flavor to West African dishes.

  • The chef added Aframomum melegueta to the dish for extra flavor.

Synonyms

Guinea grains
vsAframomum melegueta
9.9

A West African spice made from small peppery seeds

is presented as a different common name without changing meaning
grains of paradise
vsAframomum melegueta
9.9

Small peppery seeds from a West African plant used as a spice

is the same plant but noted by another common name
melagueta pepper
vsAframomum melegueta
  • UK
9.9

A West African seed used as a strong, spicy flavor for food

is described neutrally as the plant while naming an alternate term
Guinea pepper
vsAframomum melegueta
9.9

A West African plant whose hot seeds people use as a spice and medicine

focuses only on culinary spice use, not medicinal applications

Surface Forms

Aframomum melegueta singular
Aframomum meleguetas plural

Morphology

Aframomum + melegueta

This is a taxonomic Latin binomial: a learner who knows 'Aframomum' can infer it names a species in the African ginger genus, so they can tell it refers to a plant. However 'melegueta' has no independent English meaning and the specific properties (West African origin, pungent seeds used as a spice) are not derivable from the parts, so the overall meaning requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Aframomum melegueta is a West African plant whose tiny, peppery seeds were once sold to Europeans as 'grains of paradise'. Because the seeds have a strong, pepper-like taste, the name now refers to the spicy seeds used to add heat and flavour in cooking.