Grains of Selim

Grains of Selim is the commercial name for the dried fruit of Xylopia aethiopica, an evergreen, aromatic tree in the family Annonaceae used as both a spice and an herbal medicine. Though its scientific name reflects an origin traced to Ethiopia, the species grows most prominently as a crop in Ghana, Togo and other parts of West Africa, where the dried fruit is an important item of local trade across Africa as a spice and food flavoring. In Senegal it flavors cafe Touba, described as the country's spiritual beverage and the traditional drink of the Mouride brotherhood.