What Is Alligator Pepper In English?

Alligator pepper is already the common English name for the spice derived from the seeds of the plant known scientifically as Aframomum melegueta. This plant is also sometimes referred to as grains of paradise, although that name is more commonly associated with a closely related species, Aframomum granum-paradisi.

Both of these spices are native to West Africa and are used in similar culinary and traditional contexts. The term “alligator pepper” specifically refers to the seed pods of Aframomum melegueta, which are known for their distinctive, bumpy outer texture that resembles the skin of an alligator.