Celebrate National Chocolate Day with a twist! Yaji Spice’s djangsang offers rich, nutty, chocolatey notes—no actual chocolate required.
- Djangsang, also known as akpi or njangsa, is a nutty, chocolatey-flavored spice used in West African soups, stews, and sauces—despite containing no actual chocolate.
- Harvested from the fruit of the Ricinodendron heudelotii tree, djangsang seeds are boiled, sun-dried, and ground into a nutrient-rich powder.
- Packed with amino acids and antioxidants, djangsang supports digestion and adds depth to both savory and sweet dishes.
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Celebrate National Chocolate Day with Yaji Spice! While none of our spices have chocolate in them, our single origin spice, djangsang, has a strong, nutty-with-chocolate flavor. We do not use actual chocolate—the chocolatey notes occur naturally in the djangsang seeds. These notes add a slightly bitter taste to djangsang.
Let’s take a closer look at the spice behind the chocolate flavor.
How Is Djangsang Harvested?
Djangsang is a seed that comes from fruit on the djangsang tree, Ricinodendron heudelotii. It is ground into a powder and used as a thickener for soups or stews. But how is the spice harvested?
Djangsang fruit ripens and falls to the ground in early Fall. Spice farmers boil the pit of the fruit, remove the seeds, and dry them in the sun. Once the seeds are dried, they are ground into a spice. This spice is also known as akpi, njangsa, or essessang.
What Is Djangsang Used For?
Djangsang adds a nutty, rich flavor to soups and stews, including pepper soup. It is also used in Njangsa sauce, used as a base in various soups and stews. In addition to soups and stews, djangsang can be used to season meats like chicken, beef, and lamb. It offers nutty and chocolatey notes with a hint of earthiness, enhancing both sweet and savory recipes.
What Are the Health Benefits of Djangsang?
Djangsang is rich in nutrients and antioxidants and may support digestion and overall health. R. heudelotii seeds were found to be rich in glutamic acid, arginine, and aspartic acid in a study called Composition, nutritional value, and uses of Ricinodendron heudelotii, Vitex doniana, and Cleome gynandra seed oil, three indigenous oil species sources of omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids: A review.
Glutamic acid, arginine, and aspartic acid help the body build protein.
How Do I Prepare Djangsang?
Crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle into a powder. Then add it to sauces, stews, soups, and rice dishes, stirring it in well.
Where Can I Find Djangsang?
Your best chance of finding djangsang is online or at a local African market. Use our handy store locator for African shops in the Plano, Texas area.
Although Djangsang Is Not Chocolate. . .
Although djangsang is not chocolate, it certainly tastes like it with a strong, nutty and chocolatey flavor. This National Chocolate Day, try it out. You may be pleasantly surprised by the unique taste.
Please note: While no nuts are added to the Nut-Free Suya Spice Blend, Yaji Spice operates in facilities that may process nuts and therefore cannot guarantee the absence of trace allergens. Yaji Spice bears no responsibility for any allergic reactions or related incidents.
