Korarima

Korarima is a perennial herb of the ginger family, growing from rhizomes in the shade of forests, with leafy stems about two metres tall. The flowers, which appear near the ground, are pinkish, and develop into plump, reddish-brown pods, about 5 to 8 cm long, with a fibrous, slightly hairy surface. Inside the pods are many small, dark brown to black seeds, stuck together in a sticky pulp. The seeds are aromatic, with a flavour that is camphor-like and resinous, stronger and less sweet than green cardamom, with smoky and peppery notes. They are sold as whole pods, loose seeds and ground spice, and the spice is an important ingredient in the berbere blend and in coffee.

Aframomum corrorima is native to Ethiopia, and it also grows in Eritrea and Sudan. It occurs naturally in the shaded understory of moist highland forests in southwestern Ethiopia, especially in the Kaffa and Illubabor regions, and it is also grown in gardens and as a shade crop. The name korarima comes from an Ethiopian language name for the spice, and the genus name Aframomum refers to African amomum. It is called Ethiopian cardamom or false cardamom to distinguish it from true cardamom, which is Elettaria cardamomum.

Korarima has been collected and used in the highlands of Ethiopia for centuries and is a part of the country's cuisine. It has been traded within the region and exported as a spice, and it was known to European travellers, who described the plant in the nineteenth century. In Ethiopian cooking it flavours stews known as wot, spiced butter called niter kibbeh, and coffee, and it is part of the traditional berbere and mitmita spice blends. The spice is also used in traditional medicine for digestion and as a preservative. Most korarima comes from smallholders, and a good deal is gathered from semi-wild forest, so the harvest is linked to forest conservation, and the spice provides income for rural families in southwestern Ethiopia. Research has looked at domestication and improved cultivation, because forest loss and overharvesting have raised concerns about supplies. Interest outside Ethiopia has grown with the popularity of Ethiopian food and with chefs seeking unusual spices.

Korarima seeds are crushed and added to spice blends such as berbere, to stews, lentil dishes, spiced butter and to meat dishes. They are added to coffee, sometimes with cloves, to perfume the brew, and used in tea and drinks. In Ethiopian traditional practice, seeds are chewed to freshen the breath and aid digestion. The pods are sometimes used to preserve foods or to smoke containers, and the spice can substitute for cardamom in savoury cooking, in smaller amounts.

Korarima has been used in traditional medicine for stomach complaints, and laboratory work has identified essential oils such as 1,8-cineole and other terpenes that show antimicrobial and antioxidant activity in vitro. Clinical evidence in people is lacking, so benefits for digestion or infections cannot be confirmed. The amounts used in cooking are small and generally considered safe.