Grains of paradise, whereto

[nancylebov]

In jonsinger's Thanksgiving recipe post, he mentions grains of paradise, a spice which tastes (at least to him) like a mixture of orange, vanilla, and lavender, and says that they aren't easy to find.

They can be gotten from Auntie Arwen's Spices, and cubeb and dried sumac, too.

Comments

[fabricdragon.livejournal.com]

funny, i always described Grains of Parradise as
"pepper, with less bite and more depth"
i suppose i could see the vanilla as a way of describing the "more depth" but i never would have imagined calling it lavender.
it doesnt taste floral at all to me, just richer and more complex.

[axejudge.livejournal.com]

That may be where I got my grains of paradise and cubeb in the past (needed them for a 14th cent. wedding banquet I was doing). Sumac I found at my local ethnic grocery.

I agree, I find grains of paradise to be like pepper, but the flavor is rounder and fuller - less sharp.

[velvet-wood.livejournal.com]

They're a kind of seed, a lot like a peppercorn, with a nice flavour. Also called 'guinea pepper' or 'alligator pepper'. I think they're related to the ginger plant, too. Nice, but can be pricey. Here's some links I found a while back for my mother, which have it at various prices and in varying quantities:

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cheapest