A good example is the Samuel Adams Summer Ale, a sandy-gold hybrid mix of the German, American and Belgian wheat beer styles, brewed from malted wheat and barley and spiced with lemon zest and
grains of paradise. The result is an aromatically citrusy beer with a gently malty body, a curious, almost white peppery spiciness and a lemony zing on the finish.
Only 12 people know the Gordon's recipe and even if you did know it you couldn't replicate the gin." All brands use juniper and coriander but Gordon's also uses ginger, cassia and nutmeg; Plymouth's seven botanicals include sweet orange and cardamom, while Bombay Sapphire uses cassia bark and
grains of paradise (which Noel Jackson dismisses as "only black pepper").
North Africans had a similar predilection for hot foods due to the use of spicy native
grains of paradise. Tunisia, which has the most Mediterranean climate in the region, was the perfect place to cultivate chilis.
These forbid the use of any supplements in beer making including adding nux vomica,
grains of paradise, Guinea pepper or opium.
The New Glarus Thumbprint Saison is the real thing, a farmhouse ale from Wisconsin farm country, made with Wisconsin pale barley, accented with
grains of paradise, hopped with Meridian and fermented with three Belgian yeast strains.
Balsamic vinegar turns the tomato juice a deep garnet red - a dramatic contrast to the potent white
grains of paradise."
Dishes such as the North Sea halibut is served with a medieval "pevreat" sauce made from cubebs (a pepper), and dishes such as the confit duck which includes "drawen benes" - a dish of fava beans,
grains of paradise, garlic and saffron.
A hand-canned American-style pale ale made with
grains of paradise has been released by the Wynkoop Brewery of Denver, CO, Fifty-percent of all profits from the sale of the new Silverback Pale Ale go to the Denver-based Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund (MGCF).
almonds and lemon peel from Spain, orris root and juniper berries from Italy,
grains of paradise from West Africa, liquorice from China, angelica from Germany, coriander from Morocco, cassia bark from south east Asia and cubeb berries from Java.
To make the drink for one to two people blend together: celery salt, 1/4tsp or to taste;
grains of paradise 1/2tsp, coarsely ground, plus more to garnish (see below for stockists); tomato juice (best quality) 225ml/8fl oz; juice of one lime; 1tbsp balsamic vinegar; 3tbsp vodka (best quality); ice cubes; add 1-2 basil or mint leaves to garnish.
A concoction from 1594 uses cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, long pepper, liquorice, ginger,
grains of paradise, coriander and cardamom.