Is allspice a fruit or a mixture?
The thing is, it's none of those things, and it's definitely not a mixture of any of them -- allspice is a fruit picked before it's ripe from a tree (the flowering tropical evergreen Pimenta dioica), dried and either sold as whole "berries" or ground up. It takes about 5,700 berries to make a pound of ground allspice.
Where does allspice come from?
Allspice is the dried, unripened berry of the myrtle pepper tree, or pimento, which is native to Jamaica and much of Central America. The berries are briefly fermented, then sun-dried until brown. Often mistaken for a blend of spices, allspice is a single-ingredient seasoning with loads of unique flavor.
What does an allspice tree look like?
The allspice tree attains a height of about 9 metres (30 feet). The fruits are picked before they are fully ripe and are then dried in the sun. During drying, the berries turn from green to a dull reddish brown. The nearly globular fruit, about 5 mm (0.2 inch) in diameter, contains two kidney-shaped dark brown seeds.
What does allspice taste like?
Allspice is the dried berries of the Pimenta dioica plant. Despite being a single spice, it tastes like cloves, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg combined. Allspice is mostly used as a condiment, yet it has multiple uses in folk medicine. Due to its multiple uses in folk medicine, the compounds in allspice have been studied widely.
See more
Is all spice a fruit?
Allspice is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The fruits are picked when green and unripe, and are traditionally dried in the sun.
Is allspice a herb?
Commonly mistaken as a blend of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, allspice is actually a single herb ground from the under-ripe berry of its evergreen tree. Allspice is a popular seasoning in Middle Eastern, Central American, and island cuisines, but it offers much more than its exotic flavor.
Is allspice a seed?
Medium sized tree producing small purple berries that contain one or two large seeds that make the allspice of commerce. Leaves and bark also contain the allspice scent.
What type is allspice?
Allspice is the dried brown berry of the tropical Pimenta dioica tree, a clove relative native to the West Indies and Central America. It got its name in the 17th century, when allspice berries were first imported to Europe, since it's said to taste like a combination of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Is all spice anti-inflammatory?
Allspice is rich in plant compounds that may have cancer-fighting, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Some of the most important compounds include eugenol, quercetin, gallic acid, and ericifolin.
Why is it called allspice?
Allspice was so named because the flavour of the dried berry resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is widely used in baking and is usually present in mincemeat and mixed pickling spice.
What is allspice made of?
Moving beyond function and into form, the allspice we know and love is actually a berry. Also known as a Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, or pimento, allspice is the unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica, an evergreen tree in the Myrtle family native to the West Indies, Southern Mexico, and Central America.
Can I grow allspice?
Yes, but in most areas of North America, or Europe for that matter, allspice herbs will grow but fruiting will not occur. In areas of Hawaii where the weather is favorable, allspice has been naturalized after seeds were deposited from birds and can grow to heights of 10 to 60 feet (9-20 m.) tall.
What part of allspice do we eat?
The berries of the allspice tree are not the only useful part of it. The fresh leaves can give an infused flavor to dishes (like a bay leaf). The wood is used to smoke meat and sausages.
What is the rarest spice?
Top 10 rarest spices1 – Saffron. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world and can cost an eye watering $500 – $5,000 per pound. ... 2 – Caraway Seeds. ... 3 – Asafoetida. ... 4 – Sumac. ... 5 – Grains of paradise. ... 6 – Annatto. ... 7 – Anardana. ... 8 – Juniper berries.More items...
Can you eat allspice?
Its spicy, slightly sweet flavor is similar to cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Allspice can be added to sweet or savory food, or even brewed as a tea. No matter how you enjoy it, allspice has several health benefits.
Can you eat allspice raw?
Uses For Allspice Of course, you do not have to eat allspice raw to obtain its many benefits, but it can be consumed in your favorite beverages and foods, whether used in marinades to infuse into dishes, or sprinkled atop for a boost in flavor.
Is allspice a spice?
Allspice vs. Ground allspice is a single spice made from the allspice berry. It is a component of pumpkin pie spice, which also contains cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
What are the medicinal benefits of allspice?
The most important health benefits of allspice may include its ability to act as a pain reliever, increase circulation, protect the gastrointestinal system, improve mood, boost the immune system, eliminate fungal infections, lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation.
What can I use to replace allspice?
While allspice is a spice on its own, not a blend, it's very easy to create a similar-tasting mixture with spices you already have in your kitchen. Whisk 3½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves, then use as a 1:1 replacement for ground allspice in a recipe.
What can I use as a substitute for allspice?
Substitutes for Allspice According to The Spice House, any of the following spices would be also apt substitutes for ground allspice: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, pumpkin pie spice and ground black pepper, apple pie spice, and a chai blend.
Menopause treatment
Menopause is the termination of the menstrual cycle in people ages 45–52.
Cancer-fighting properties
Most of allspice’s beneficial plant compounds have potential cancer-fighting properties.
Antimicrobial and antifungal effects
The eugenol and ericifolin in allspice may also provide antimicrobial and antifungal effects ( 1 ).
Other potential benefits
Allspice is a popular home treatment for multiple health conditions, including:
How do I cook with allspice?
Cooks around the world use allspice in both sweet and savory recipes, like “Jamaican jerk seasoning, Middle Eastern baharat, Swedish pickled herring, Mexican mole, Portuguese beef stew, and corned beef ,” Uskokovic says. You’ll also notice traces of its characteristic complexity in aromatic liqueurs like Chartreuse and Bénédictine.
Should I buy ground or whole allspice berries?
According to Schiff, don’t bother with the pre-ground stuff. “It has a fraction of the flavor as the whole berry,” she says. Like coffee, ground allspice will lose potency and freshness over time, which is why it’s always best to buy whole berries and process them in an electric spice grinder as needed.
Explore
When the cooler months hit and you're in the mood for a warm and comforting dish, look no further than potato soup. Creamy potato soup is an easy meal to make and even easier to freeze and store so you can have hearty soup anytime you want. And thanks to our 10 different top-rated recipe options, you'll never get tired of this versatile soup.
Dinner Recipes
There's a lot you can do with ground beef in your slow cooker. Plus, ground beef will last three to four months in the freezer, so stockpiling this staple ingredient will serve you well.
Bread Recipes
Looking for a delicious way to bake with fresh or frozen strawberries? Your search ends here. Strawberries add fruity flavor and vibrant color to these breads and muffins.
Dessert Recipes
The sweet and salty combination of chocolate and peanut butter is a sensory experience we can't get enough of — after all, who can eat just one peanut butter cup? There's something about the contrasting flavors that lends itself so well to a variety of desserts, including brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, and more.
Main Dishes
Your favorite dinnertime protein is served with a kick in these 20 Mexican-inspired casseroles. Cook your own chicken, or pick up a rotisserie chicken to make things a breeze.
Salad Recipes
Put your bok choy to good use by whipping up a healthy, fresh-tasting, and satisfying salad. The crisp-tasting leafy green, a staple ingredient in many Asian cuisines, has a mild — though pleasantly peppery and fresh — flavor that blends beautifully into all kinds of salads.
Soup, Stew & Chili Recipes
Gnocchi are a great alternative to noodles in soups. The doughy potato dumplings absorb the broth's flavor and provide a delightful textural experience; and gnocchi work just as well with tomato-based broths as they do with a certain Italian restaurant's chicken soup. In short, adding gnocchi to a soup instantly makes it comfort food.
Physical description
Learn about culinary and antiseptic uses of allspice ( Pimenta dioica ).
Other plants known as allspice
The name allspice is applied to several other aromatic shrubs as well, especially to one of the sweet shrubs, the Carolina allspice ( Calycanthus floridus ), a handsome flowering shrub native to the southeastern United States and often cultivated in England.
Overview
Allspice is a plant. The unripe berries and leaves of the plant are used to make medicine.
How does it work ?
Allspice contains a chemical called eugenol, which might explain some of its traditional uses for toothache, muscle pain, and as a germ-killer. Other compounds in allspice seem to kill cancer cells.
Uses, Benefits, Recipes
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
What Is Allspice?
The name might suggest it is a blend, but allspice is a single spice made from dried berries of the allspice tree which look like peppercorns. The allspice tree is native to Jamaica, and it is also known as Jamaica pepper and new spice. It was documented by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the New World and named by Dr.
Whole vs. Ground
Allspice can be used in ground form or whole. Once ground, allspice quickly can lose its pungency. Ground spices are more intense than whole cloves or berries. Whole allspice berries are sometimes used in stews and soups, and for pickling and brining.
What Does It Taste Like?
Allspice combines the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. It can be used for many purposes that those warm spices are used, or as a substitute for them.
Cooking and Baking With Allspice
Allspice is used both in cooking and in baking. Whole allspice berries can be added to meat such as beef or lamb, as you would slivers of garlic or whole cloves. If you want to tame the berries a bit, cook them before you use them as seasoning. You can bake them for 10 minutes or heat them in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop.
Recipes With Allspice
The Mediterranean taste of allspice shines in Cincinnati-style chili, which is a meat sauce that goes well on spaghetti or as a topping for coney dogs. Allspice is also one of the key ingredients in the marinade for Jamaican jerk chicken.
Substitutions for Allspice
If a recipe calls for allspice and you don't have any, you could mix up a substitute by combining equal parts ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Conversely, if you don't have nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon on hand, use allspice instead.
What Is Allspice?
Allspice is actually derived from berries that are native to Jamaica, Guatemala, and Honduras. The berry (also called the pimento, Jamaica pimento, Jamaica pepper, pimenta, or myrtle pepper) is picked from the Pimenta dioica, an evergreen tree in the myrtle family.
How Is Allspice Used?
Allspice is one of the most important spices in Jamaican cuisine. Among other traditional uses, it’s often used in Jamaican jerk seasoning, pickling, sausage preparation, and curries. It’s also a staple in many Middle Eastern dishes, where it is used to flavor a variety of stews and meat dishes.
Allspice Substitute
Don’t have any allspice on hand? No problem—you can DIY a substitute with just a few ingredients. To make 1 teaspoon of allspice, combine:
