Uziza (Leaves and Seeds) substitute

Best substitute

Black Peppercorns, Freshly Ground (for the seeds)

Use the same amount plus a scant ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice per teaspoon of uziza seed as the uziza (leaves and seeds) you are replacing

Best for pepper soup spice

Close match

For uziza seeds, black peppercorns are the practical swap at 1:1, and cubeb pepper or grains of paradise are closer if you can get them. For uziza leaves there is no true match, and the best available stand-in is torn fresh basil with a grind of black pepper, or arugula if you want the peppery bitterness more than the aroma. Do not swap one form for the other; the seed brings heat, the leaf brings aroma.

Other uziza (leaves and seeds) substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Cubeb Pepper (Tailed Pepper) (for the seeds)
Close match
Use the same amount
The closest relative on any spice shelf and the best single-jar answer for uziza seed.
What changes
Same pungency, same dark resinous depth, ground the same way.
Best for
pepper soup spice, spice blends, nkwobi, isi ewu
Cubeb carries a stronger eucalyptus and menthol edge than uziza, so use a touch less at first and taste. Sold in Middle Eastern and specialist spice shops.
3Grains of Paradise (Alligator Pepper) (for the seeds)
Different taste
Use the same amount
Already at home in the same cuisine, which is why this works better than its flavour profile suggests.
What changes
Warm, peppery heat with a bright cardamom and citrus lift.
Best for
pepper soup, nkwobi, goat meat dishes, West African spice blends
Less earthy and more perfumed than uziza seed, so a pepper soup made with it smells brighter and slightly citrusy rather than dark and woody. Crack the seeds in a mortar rather than grinding to dust.
4Fresh Basil Plus Black Pepper (for the leaves)
Different taste
Use ½ cup torn basil plus ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper for every cup of uziza leaves
Uziza leaf is really an aroma ingredient stirred in at the end, and basil is the widely available leaf that behaves the same way in a hot pot.
What changes
The black pepper covers the peppery bite basil has none of.
Best for
ofe nsala, oha soup, pepper soup, yam porridge
Sweeter and more anise-like than uziza, which is peppery and faintly bitter. Thai basil is closer than Genovese because of its clove-anise note and because it holds up better in broth.
5Arugula or Watercress, Shredded (for the leaves)
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount by volume
If what you want back is uziza leaf's peppery, slightly bitter bite rather than its aroma, these get closer than basil does.
What changes
Watercress holds its shape better in soup; arugula collapses to almost nothing but has a sharper bite.
Best for
Igbo soups, pepper soup, sauces where uziza was a background green
Both lack uziza's warm spicy fragrance, so the soup reads greener and fresher rather than aromatic. Add off the heat, because the peppery compounds in arugula fade fast when boiled.
6Nothing, and Lean on the Spice Mix (Honest Option, for the leaves)
Different taste
Use Omit the leaves; add ¼ teaspoon extra ground black pepper or uziza seed for every serving
If a recipe uses a few uziza leaves as a finishing note and you have neither the leaves nor a good herb, leaving them out is a smaller loss than dumping in a handful of spinach for the sake of green flecks.
What changes
Push the pepper and the aroma spices instead.
Best for
pepper soup, any soup where uziza is a garnish rather than the point
The soup will taste rounder and less lifted at the finish. Do not do this in a soup that is named for the leaf, and do not substitute plain spinach, which contributes nothing but colour.

What is Uziza (Leaves and Seeds)?

Uziza (Leaves and Seeds) is Uziza is a West African climbing vine, Piper guineense, that supplies two different kitchen ingredients: peppery green leaves used as a finishing herb and small dark seeds known as Ashanti pepper or West African black pepper.

Cooking tips

Stir the leaves in during the last 2 to 3 minutes. Uziza leaf is added for fragrance and a peppery lift, and a long boil turns it dull, leathery and one-note bitter.
Stack and slice the leaves into thin ribbons before they go in. Whole uziza leaves in a thin soup like ofe nsala float on top and eat like wet paper.
Toast the seeds in a dry pan for 30 to 60 seconds until they smell warm and sharp, then grind. Untoasted uziza seed tastes flat and slightly dusty.
Start with about three-quarters of what you think you need if your recipe is vague about quantity. Uziza seed is pungent and its heat keeps building over a long simmer.
Never swap the leaf for the seed or the other way around. A recipe calling for uziza leaves wants aroma and a hint of bitterness at the end; one calling for uziza seeds wants pungent heat built into the base.

Frequently asked questions

Are uziza leaves and uziza seeds interchangeable?

No, and this is the most common mistake. The leaves are a soft finishing green with a peppery, slightly bitter taste and a distinct aroma, added in the last few minutes. The seeds are a pungent spice, hotter and more concentrated, ground into pepper soup mixes and rubbed onto meat early in cooking. Using ground seed where a recipe wanted leaves gives you a much hotter, harsher dish with none of the fresh top note.

Is uziza the same as Ashanti pepper?

The seed is. Ashanti pepper, West African black pepper, Benin pepper and uziza seed are all Piper guineense. The leaf of the same plant is usually just called uziza leaf and is not sold as a spice in the West at all, which is why you can find the seeds in specialist shops but almost never the fresh leaves outside African markets.

Can I use spinach instead of uziza leaves?

Not usefully. Spinach has no pepperiness, no bitterness and no aroma, so it adds nothing except green colour and a little water. If the recipe uses a large quantity of uziza as a vegetable alongside another green, spinach can fill out the volume, but you still need to replace the flavour with black pepper and a peppery leaf like arugula or watercress.

Can I just leave it out?

In pepper soup, nkwobi or a soup that already carries plenty of black pepper and aromatic spice, yes, and it will still taste good, just less layered and less fragrant at the finish. In a dish where uziza is the named flavour, leaving it out changes what you are making, and you are better off using black pepper or cubeb for the seed and basil for the leaf.

Where do I buy uziza?

African grocers sell the seeds loose or in small packets, sometimes labelled Ashanti pepper or simply uziza. Fresh leaves are seasonal and hard to find; frozen chopped leaves are the realistic option and go straight into the pot from the freezer. Some online spice retailers carry the seeds year-round under the botanical name Piper guineense.

Related substitutes

More spices & herbs substitutes

Uziza (Leaves and Seeds) substitute

Other uziza (leaves and seeds) substitutes

2Cubeb Pepper (Tailed Pepper) (for the seeds)

3Grains of Paradise (Alligator Pepper) (for the seeds)

4Fresh Basil Plus Black Pepper (for the leaves)

5Arugula or Watercress, Shredded (for the leaves)

6Nothing, and Lean on the Spice Mix (Honest Option, for the leaves)