Library spice kits: Get grains of paradise for Black History Month
On a spicy note: Suffolk Public Library has a Spice of the Month program.
Anyone can get a free kit that includes the spice, information about it and recipes. They are available the 1st through 7th of each month, at Morgan Memorial and North Suffolk branches, while supplies last.
This is the library’s way of giving back to the community and allowing people to try new flavors without the cost, said Davina Applewhite, marketing coordinator at Suffolk Public Library.
The program was created in 2022 by Jeremy Hanes, the library services coordinator for community learning. It started with four spice kits. Some were easy to grow or were native to North America, such as allspice and sumac, wrote Heather Nygaard, marketing and community relations supervisor, in an email.
The program also tries to include recipes and spices that fit monthly observances.
Grains of paradise, also known as guinea grains or melegueta pepper, is the featured spice for February, Black History Month. The seeds come from the Aframomum melegueta plant that originated in West Africa and is in the ginger family. The reddish-brown pips are round-like with a yellow pointed tip. Ethan Frisch, chef and co-founder of Burlap and Barrel, a direct trade spice company, described it as blissfully aromatic, citrusy, gingery and minty in an article on MarthaStewart.com.
Grains of paradise is also versatile. Use it in sweet and savory dishes as well as drinks such as wine. Some people substitute the spice for black pepper.
The February kit includes recipes for vegan “beef ” stew and apple spice Bundt cake with rum glaze. The library keeps an archive of recipes for the public.
Spice lovers can return their kit box to a library and refill it with new recipe cards and spices.
March’s spice is cardamom and April is urfa biber (Turkish chili pepper).
The kits are put together with volunteers from Lakeland High School who work with the Southeastern Cooperative Educational Program (SECEP). Students have cognitive disabilities and the program helps them to learn hands-on skills, Nygaard wrote.
The kits are available at Morgan Memorial, 443 W. Washington St., 757-514-7323; and North Suffolk, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, 757-514-7150.
Details: bit.ly/SuffolkSpiceMonth