Alligator pepper 2

 

I opened up an alligator pepper seed pod.  The pod was about two inches in length and covered in a loose, thin woody covering.  I was able to loosen it with a nutcracker and then peel it away with my fingers.  Inside, the seeds are all held together in a fibrous mass in a thin covering that looks like alligator skin, which is where the name comes from. 

The seed mass was broken up into two hemispheres.  I pulled it apart into its two halves.  The seeds were arranged in an inner core and an outer ring of seeds.  I vigorously rubbed the mass between my fingers; the seeds separated from the lighter-colored fibers and fell out.

The seeds are two millimeters in size and not round but with flat surfaces.  The shape is nearly the same as grains of paradise and korarima seeds.  The color of the seeds is a dark reddish brown, somewhere between the chocolate brown of the korarima and the redder brown on the grains of paradise.  The taste of the seeds is a bit stronger than those of grains of paradise, with a long-lasting burn.

The best spice reference I have is World Spice Plants: Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy by Johannes Seidemann.  According to this and my other references, "alligator pepper" is used to describe Aframomum exscapum and Aframomum melegueta, which is most commonly called grains of paradise.  I use "alligator pepper" only for Aframomum exscapum.  I can't be certain that what I bought is true alligator pepper, but I believe so because of the slightly difference appearance and stronger taste.