Pepper of Selim

Selim seeds are a fragrant spice with a strong, sweet and somewhat peppery taste. We discover a superb aromatic palette with notes of ginger, licorice and black pepper. They can be used whole for stews and sauces then ground to add incredible flavors to fish, pork and vegetables. This bay of Selim is absolutely worth discovering for African recipes and discovering creative cuisine.

Pepper Potency: 5/10
Main notes: Licorice and black pepper
Origin: Cameroon

At Comptoir de Toamasina, we offer you Selim Berries, the very aromatic fake Selim Afrique pepper, from the Selim pepper mill, to the bottle, including the pepper sachet per kilo of Selim berry.

Packaging

Reference BAS

€6.96

Buy the extraordinary Selim Pepper from Cameroon and discover how to use it

"Comptoir de Toamasina, specialist in rare peppers and spices, invites you to buy Selim pepper. A journey into a temple of flavors, from coconut to nutmeg, passing by musk."

Aromatic Palette

Unseen for a spice: coconut, nutmeg, ginger, eucalyptus, and intense licorice notes.

African False Pepper

A fibrous pod native to the shores of West Africa, essential for the famous Café Touba.

Varied Formats

Available in discovery pouches, by the kilo, or in our refillable mill made in the EU.

Selim Pepper — an exceptional African spice with incredibly complex notes. Unseen for a spice: coconut, nutmeg, licorice, smoke, and musk in a single fibrous pod.

Main notes Woody · Licorice · Musky · Smoky · Coconut

Aromatic Resinous and fresh on the attack, evolving towards nutmeg, mace, and ginger — a symphony of flavors

Usage Café Touba, stews, sauces, marinades, chocolate desserts, drinks

Sensory Analysis

Comparative Aromatic Profile — Selim · Voatsiperifery · Timut

Three distinct profiles for three different culinary uses

Woody · Resinous

Smoky · Musky

Spicy · Ginger

Floral · Nutmeg

Fresh · Minty

━ Selim Pepper

- - Voatsiperifery

·· Timut Berry

Arnaud's Note: « Selim pepper is the African spice that surprises everyone. When I present it to our chefs in Belo Horizonte, they can't believe it — smoky, musky, coconut, licorice, all in one single little pod. A chameleon spice that deserves to be in all creative kitchens. »

Global Analysis of the 3 Spices

? International Delivery: USA, UK & European Union

We ship our peppers and spices directly to your door worldwide!

Enjoy fast and reliable shipping to the United States, the United Kingdom, and across the entire European Union.

Furthermore, to ensure the best possible experience, our dedicated English-speaking team is ready to answer all your questions, provide usage tips, and assist you with your order. Feel free to contact us!

It is a variety off the beaten path. We work in Brazil with prestigious restaurants and exceptional pastry chefs, and upon discovering this little seed, all our chefs have ideas for incredible creative cuisine. We offer the Selim pepper mill, a refillable pepper mill 100% manufactured in the European Union. You can buy Selim pepper at the best price per kilo, with our packaging by the kilo and pouches from 100g to 500g. It is a pepper you absolutely must discover to take your taste buds on a journey.

What is Selim pepper?

It is a false pepper consisting of black seeds packed in a long, thin, blackish, and bumpy pod measuring between 3 and 5 cm long and resembling a bean. It is a very curious pepper. Each pod contains between five and eight seeds, and the scent is exquisite. The term "Selim pepper" refers to both the seeds and their pods, which are inseparable. It's a bit like the Madagascar vanilla fava.

It should be noted that it is a dried fruit from a massive tree belonging to the Annonaceae family that grows in Africa, along riverbanks in the savanna. Its scent and flavor are extraordinary: all the gustatory characteristics are concentrated in the fibrous pod, and not in the seeds, which have little taste.

What do Selim grains taste like?

This spice has a woody note, it will deliver a touch of licorice and black pepper to your taste buds. But going further you will discover simply incredible notes. A flavor that will mix smokiness with a touch of barbecue charcoal, then transports you into a symphony of flavors from musky to woody, passing through a minty and floral note.

The aromatic profile in detail:

On the nose: Resin smell, undergrowth notes, delicately musky and woody coconut.
In the mouth: Resinous and fresh attack (reminiscent of cubeb pepper, clove, and eucalyptus), evolving towards mace flower and nutmeg.
Final note: Ginger, turmeric, and pepper. Selim pepper is often smoked during drying.

Cultivation and harvesting of Selim pepper

Selim pepper is found in the world under various names: Grains of Selim, Senegal Pepper, Kimba Pepper, African Pepper, Kili, Djar (Wolof). Please note, according to the 1945 decree in France, it is forbidden to call Selim Pepper "Pepper" on official labels because it does not belong to the Piperaceae family (it is a false pepper). The tree is native to a large part of sub-Saharan Africa (from Senegal to Ethiopia). In Senegal, much of the dried Selim pepper is smoked during drying to give it a deeper flavor.

How to use Selim pepper in cooking by Chef Arnaud?

In cooking, this spice is generally used to add a peppery and robust flavor to stews. It is loved in traditional African cuisine (peanut lamb stew) as well as in sauces. It can be crushed, ground, or the whole pod can be used by infusing it. For preparation, we recommend roasting the Selim grains before cooking or infusing them to release all their flavor.

Drinks: Crush the pods in a mortar, steep them in water with honey for a soothing tea. Also ideal for Senegalese "Café Touba".
Savory dishes: In a spicy sauce for sushi or samosas, or in a spinach curry recipe.
Storage tip: Store it in an airtight container, away from other strong spices, because it is a "chameleon spice" that absorbs odors.

My 8 favorite recipes with Selim pepper

Fish fillet with Selim pepper: Season the fish with crushed pods and grill. Serve with vegetables.
Chicken stir-fry with crunchy vegetables: Sauté the chicken with garlic, onions, and crushed Selim pepper.
Exotic fruit salad: Balsamic/olive oil vinaigrette infused with Selim pepper over mango and pineapple.
Marinated tofu: Lime, soy sauce, ginger, and Selim marinade.
Shrimp in coconut sauce: Coconut milk sauce, garlic, ginger, chili, and crushed Selim pepper.
Chocolate cake: Integrate ground pepper into the batter for a unique spicy flavor.
Cream cheese spread: Mix cream cheese, herbs, lemon, and crushed Selim.
Fried rice: Rice, seasonal vegetables, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Selim pepper.

Buy Selim pepper at the best price per kilo

Comptoir de Toamasina offers you the purchase and sale of Selim pepper by the kilo. After buying a jar or our mill, it is not uncommon to want a larger quantity. We have different formats to satisfy restaurateurs and individuals: packaging from 400g, 1kg, and up to 5kg.