Difference between revisions of "Allspice"

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{{Taxobox
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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| color = lightgreen
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| name = ''Pimenta dioica''
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| name = Allspice
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| common_names = Allspice, Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper, pimento
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| growth_habit = ?  <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
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| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| sunset_zones =    <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
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| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Koeh-239.jpg
 
| image = Koeh-239.jpg
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| image_width = 250px
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| image_width = 180px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
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| image_caption = Allspice
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| image_caption =     <!--- eg. Cultivated freesias -->
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = [[Dicots|Magnoliopsida ]]
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| classis = Magnoliopsida  
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| ordo = [[Myrtales]]
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| ordo = Myrtales
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| familia = [[Myrtaceae]]
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| familia = Myrtaceae
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| genus = ''[[Pimenta]]''
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| genus = Pimenta
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| species = '''''P. dioica'''''
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| species = dioica
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| binomial = ''Pimenta dioica''
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}}
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| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Elmer Drew Merrill|Merr.]]
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{{Inc|
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[[Image:AllspiceSeeds.jpg|left|thumb|''Pimenta dioica'' Dried, unripe fruits of allspice]]
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Allspice. The dry berry of the Pimento (Pimenta officinalis, Lindl.), an evergreen tree of the Myrtaceae. The tree grows in the West Indies. Jamaica yields much of the product. The fresh berry is about the size of a pea. It is borne in clusters. The word allspice is also applied to various plants with aromatic fragrance, as Calycanthus.
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{{SCH}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
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'''Allspice''', also called '''Jamaica pepper''', '''Myrtle pepper''', '''pimento'''<ref>Note however, that the name '''pimento''' is also used for a certain kind of large, red, heart-shaped sweet pepper that measures three to four inches long and two to three inches wide. The flesh of this [[pimento]] is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red [[bell pepper]]. These pimientos are the familiar red stuffing found in quality green [[olive]]s.
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==Cultivation==
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</ref>
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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, or '''newspice''', is a [[spice]] which is the dried unripe [[fruit]] of the ''Pimenta dioica'' plant. The name "allspice" was coined by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of several aromatic spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
 
  
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==Flavor==
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===Propagation===
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Allspice has a complex [[aroma]], hence its name. It is an aromatic spice with a taste similar to a combination of [[cinnamon]], [[cloves]] and [[nutmeg]], but hotter and more [[black pepper|peppery]].
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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==History==
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===Pests and diseases===
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[[Christopher Columbus]] brought allspice to [[Spain]] from the Caribbean, where it got the name "pimienta," which is Spanish for pepper. Although he was seeking pepper, he had never actually seen real pepper and he thought allspice was it. Its Anglicized name, pimento, is occasionally used in the [[spice trade]] today. Before [[World War II]], allspice was more widely used than it is nowadays. During the war, many trees producing allspice were cut, and production never fully recovered. Most allspice is produced in [[Jamaica]], but some other sources for allspice include [[Guatemala]], [[Honduras]], as well as [[Mexico]]. Jamaican allspice is considered to be superior due to its higher oil content, which gives it a more appealing flavor.
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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==Preparation/Form==
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==Species==
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[[Image:AllspiceSeeds.jpg|left|thumb|360px|''Pimenta dioica'' Dried, unripe fruits of allspice]]Allspice is not, as is mistakenly believed by some people who have only come across it in ground form, a mixture of spices. Rather, it is the dried fruit of the ''Pimenta dioica'' plant. The fruit is picked when it is green and unripe, traditionally they are then sun dried. When dry they are brown and look like large brown peppercorns.
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<!--  This section should be renamed Cultivars if it appears on a page for a species (rather than genus), or perhaps Varieties if there is a mix of cultivars, species, hybrids, etc    -->
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Allspice is most commonly sold as whole dried fruits or as a powder. The whole fruits have a longer shelf-life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use. Fresh leaves are also used where available: they are similar in texture to [[bay leaves]] and are thus [[infused]] during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavour when dried and stored. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop.
 
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==Uses==
 
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Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of [[Caribbean]] cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning (the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in [[Mole (sauce)|mole sauces]], and in [[pickling]]; it is also an ingredient in commercial [[sausage]] preparations and [[curry powder]]s. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the [[Levant]] where it is used to flavor a variety of stews and meat dishes. In [[Palestinian cuisine]], for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavoring. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain and appears in many dishes, including in [[cakes]]. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, such as Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers. Allspice is also a main flavor used in [[barbecue]] sauces.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
 
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Allspice has also been used as a [[deodorant]]; 18th century Russian soldiers would put allspice in their boots.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
 
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Folklore suggests that allspice provides relief for digestive problems.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}
 
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Volatile oils found in the plant contain [[eugenol]], a weak [[antimicrobial]] agent (Yaniv, Sohara et al. 2005).
 
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==Cultivation==
 
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Allspice is a small shrubby tree, quite similar to the bay laurel in size and form. It can be grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics with normal garden soil and watering. Smaller plants can be killed by frost, although larger plants are more tolerant. It adapts well to container culture and can be kept as a [[houseplant]] or in a [[greenhouse]]. The plant is [[dioecious]], hence male and female plants must be kept in proximity in order to allow fruits to develop.
 
  
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To protect the pimento trade the plant was guarded against export from Jamaica. It is reported that many attempts were made at growing the pimento from seeds, all failed. At one time it was thought that the plant would grow nowhere else except in Jamaica where the plant was readily spread by birds. Experiments were then performed using the constituents of bird droppings, however these were also totally unsuccessful. Eventually it was realized that an elevated temperature, such as that found inside a bird's body, was essential for germinating the seeds.
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==Gallery==
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{{photo-sources}}<!-- remove this line if there are already 3 or more photos in the gallery  -->
  
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==Notes==
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<gallery>
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Image:Upload.png| photo 1
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<references/>
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Image:Upload.png| photo 2
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Image:Upload.png| photo 3
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</gallery>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
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*''Herbs, Spices and Flavourings'', Tom Stobart, [[Penguin books]], 1977
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
  
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*Yaniv, Zohara et al.  ''Hand Book of Medicinal Plants''.  10 Alice Street, Bringhamton, NY 13904-1580: Food Products Press(r), 2005.
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==External links==
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*{{wplink}}
  
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{{Herbs & spices}}
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Categorize]]
  
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[[Category:Myrtaceae]]
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<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->
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[[Category:Peppers]]
 
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[[Category:Flora of Guatemala]]
 
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[[Category:Flora of Honduras]]
 
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[[Category:Flora of Jamaica]]
 

Latest revision as of 18:16, 17 August 2009


Koeh-239.jpg


Plant Characteristics
Origin: ✈ ?
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Scientific Names

Myrtaceae >

Pimenta >

dioica >



Read about Allspice in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 
Pimenta dioica Dried, unripe fruits of allspice

Allspice. The dry berry of the Pimento (Pimenta officinalis, Lindl.), an evergreen tree of the Myrtaceae. The tree grows in the West Indies. Jamaica yields much of the product. The fresh berry is about the size of a pea. It is borne in clusters. The word allspice is also applied to various plants with aromatic fragrance, as Calycanthus. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Species

Gallery

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References

External links


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