Uda appears like a a lot thicker vanilla pod however as a substitute of micro-seeds contained in the pod, there are pebble-like issues. They're the size of my finger, normally; it relies upon the place they’re harvested from. Those that my grandma brings again from Nigeria in her suitcase are normally twice the dimensions of my finger however the ones I get from the shop are fairly small.
The style of uda may be very arduous to explain – there’s nothing prefer it. It’s virtually woody, then there’s a tiny little bit of bitterness, however not overpowering. It’s form of heat, like nutmeg or cinnamon. The important thing distinction is its musky scent.
Historically, I exploit it in suya and pepper soup, which is a form of broth with goat meat and offal like tripe, or typically a fish broth. The entire level of the dish is that it’s actually, actually spicy, after which you have got the woody style from uda.
It’s additionally wonderful rather than vanilla; I make suya ice-cream. Whenever you combine the uda pods with any type of dairy, it actually seeps into it, so the style is robust. You must watch out how lengthy you allow the uda within the custard for – if it’s too lengthy it would style extra bitter.
I exploit it in a scotch bonnet jam for my supper golf equipment. Clearly the scotch bonnet is actually spicy however the uda offers a musky, calming scent. It takes dishes to an entire new stage. It’s not a shy spice.
Lopè Ariyo is a cookery author and the writer of Hibiscus (HarperCollins, £22)
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