What is uda spice?

Origin: Ibesikpo Asutan, Akwa Ibom State - Nigeria

Flavor: Musty. Resinous. Bitter. Smokey.

Volume: Mild

Use: Grind and add to coffee to make cafe touba a Senegalese coffee. Add ground to vegetables, curries, stewed beans, sprinkle over spiced soups. Ground and blend with other spices to make a rub for grilling. Add a whole pod to jollof or any other rice dish or add early to broths or stews to allow the flavor to  infuse (remove before serving!). Cook briefly in oil before adding to a dish or add towards the end of frying. Add to zobo (sobolo, jus bissap) a hibiscus drink.

Uda, grains of selim, ata, hwentia, kimba pepper, African pepper, Moor pepper, Negro pepper, Kani pepper, Kili pepper, Sénégal pepper, and Guinea pepper. It has many names across West Africa and is known as kieng in Cameroon, West Central Africa. Uda is a rare West African spice that are the seeds of the Xylopia aethiopica shrub, which grows across the region. They are similar in scent to black peppercorns, but much more potent. It offers a unique flavor due to a compound; frenchone. Both pods and seeds are used in cooking adding a raw pepperiness to foods and it pairs well with ginger. This amazing ingredient is featured in many traditional dishes and drinks, such as banga soup, pepper soup, and suya spices mixes in Nigeria, shiito - a hot chili sauce, Hausa koko in Ghana, touba coffee in Senegal and for a tea in Cameroon to name a few.

Facts: Harvested from the wild, sun dried, smoked, hand processed

It has many names across West Africa and is known as kieng in Cameroon, West Central Africa. Uda is a rare West African spice that are the seeds of the Xylopia aethiopica shrub, which grows across the region. They are similar in scent to black peppercorns, but much more potent.