Allspice

Thanks to Christopher Columbus who discovered Allspice, in mistake, in the Caribbean. He was seeking pepper, and found Allspice and thought it is pepper as he never seen pepper before. Returning back to Spain, Allspice was given the name "pimiento," which is Spanish word meaning pepper. Pimento is occasionally used in the spice trade today as Anglicized name. Allspice, can also be named as Jamaica pepper or Myrtle pepper. Allspice was more widely used before World War II but now chef uses this spice less in their dishes due to the discovery of many other spices. Many trees producing Allspice were cut down during the World War II, and later no one ever thought for its cultivation, therefore production never fully recovered. Tradition and Folklore suggests that Allspice provides relief for digestive problems. Allspice tree is named as Pimenta dioica which produce unripe dry berries of Allspice which are later dried and formed small dark brown balls. Its tree is small and shrubby.

Allspice plant is evergreen, grows 7 -13m (22-43 ft) in height, having smooth grey bark, and elliptic, sleek, dark green leaves, which grows up to 15 cm (6 in) in length. This plant bears small white flowers during mid summer followed by green berries that turn purple in color when fully ripped. Fruit starts to build up after about five years of plantation, and becomes mature after twenty years. Allspice is used as a whole or ground.
What is Allspice? The name itself shows that it is a spice and ingredients of many dishes. Allspice has pungent aroma. Allspice doesn’t mean a blend of "all spices," but actually its taste and aroma mistakenly remind people of a mix of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg spice, same mistake as Christopher did. Pimiento reflects the Spanish/Jamaican background of Allspice.

Particularly it is most common use spice by European chef, an important ingredient in many marinades, pickling and mulling spices Allspice is used for patés, terrines, smoked and canned meats. Few number of Allspice berries are added to Scandinavian pickled herring to give additional aroma and tang, to spicy, pickles, soups, game dishes and English spiced beef. Traditionally, it has been used in cakes and deserts, fruit pies, puddings and ice cream and pumpkin pie and in many more sweets. Some Indian dishes mostly curries and rice dishes contain allspice. Allspice is part of liqueurs, notably Benedictine and Chartreuse ingredients. Allspice spice is indispensable Caribbean cuisine and Middle Eastern cuisine majorly used to flavor the stew and meat dishes. It is a major ingredient of barbque sauce. Medically it is proven to be digestive and carminative .Allspice oil is classed as “rubefacient” that means it irritates and pinches the skin and expands the blood vessels, increasing the flow and regulation of blood to make the skin feel warmer. Allspice contains tannins that provide a mild anesthetic property for arthritis and sore muscles, used either as a poultice or in hot baths; therefore it is a very valuable home remedy.

A common question asked by farmers that where can I grow Allspice? It grew in tropics and subtropics are. Allspice cultivation need normal garden soil and watering. It comes from Jamaica, Mexico and Honduras. If you are unable to get Allspice, you can substitute Allspice with cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Substitute for Allspice can be done by mixing one part of nutmeg with two parts of cloves and cinnamon each.

Allspice recipes include Jamaican jerk seasoning used in Jamaican soups, stews, and curries. Allspice is a major ingredient of pickling spice, spiced tea mixes, cakes, cookies, and pies. Chef and Food producing companies use it in ketchup, pickles, and sausages. It is common ingredient of both savory and sweet foods. Mix 1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice and 2 pounds of ground beef which gives a unique flavor and aroma to meatloaf and hamburgers. Add 1 teaspoon of ground Allspice to cherub food or white cake for a sensational spicy flavor. Great exceptional flavor is given to potpourri by aromatic whole Allspice.