African locust beans are the fermented seeds of the African locust tree or, on occasion, sesame seeds. A traditional condiment in Congo, Ghana and Nigeria with a smell of rotting cheese.
A palm, the red fruit of which yields a yellow-coloured oil used for cooking.
Guinea pepper. A spice from Africa sometimes used as a mild pepper substitute and with a flavour slightly reminiscent of cardamon. The pods are crushed and added whole to soups or stews, then removed before serving any food.
A variety of chilli from Kenya similar to a jalapeño, measuring around 5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide.
Callaloo. A generic name given to large green leafy tops of the taro and malanga families of edible tubers which include dasheen, eddo and tannia or coco yam as well as callalloo, elephant’s ear, African/Chinese/Indian spinach, Surinam amaranth, etc., any of which may be used in a West Indian soup called callaloo. It is treated in the same way as spinach, while in Africa it is made into a soup with milk, okra, salt pork, spices and coconut milk. It is often stewed in oil with spices.
