Moringa Seeds

Moringa seeds are the small, pale seeds taken from the pods of the Moringa oleifera tree. Raw they are pungent and peppery, close to a radish, with earthy undertones; roasted they turn nutty and mildly sweet, and the texture stays firm.

The tree is native to South Asia and is widely cultivated across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

Moringa seeds are also called drumstick tree seeds, after the long, slender pods they grow in, and malunggay seeds in the Philippines. Each seed is round with a thin husk and a pale kernel inside, and the kernel is the part that gives the peppery bite. The seeds are also pressed to make ben oil, which is why they are sometimes sold as ben oil tree seeds.

How to use it

Roast them lightly and eat them whole as a snack, or grind them into a powder that adds depth to soups, stews and spice blends. They appear in curries, lentil dishes and regional stews across India, the Philippines and West Africa, and they can be steeped into herbal infusions. Roast them in a dry pan until they take colour before eating them whole; the raw pungency is sharp, and the heat turns it nutty.

Details

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