Allspice

Color: Dark, reddish-brown
Flavor & Aroma: Pleasant blend of cinnamon and clove
Sensory Profile: Allspice is generally described as possessing a woody, cinnamon-like flavor which is slightly numbing.

Description
Allspice is the dried, unripened fruit of a small evergreen tree, the Pimenta Dioica. The fruit is a pea-sized berry which is sundried to a reddish-brown color. Pimento is called Allspice because its flavor suggests a blend of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Uses
Allspice is used in seasonings, sauces, sausages, ketchup, jams, pumpkin, gravies, roasts, hams, baked goods, and teas. Caribbean cooking relies on Allspice as the main ingredient in jerk seasoning. It is used in Caribbean, Mexican, Indian, English, and North American cooking and in seasoning blends such as jerk seasoning and curry.

Origins
Most Allspice is produced in Jamaica, but alternative sources include Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Historically, Jamaican Allspice has been considered superior because of its higher oil content, better appearance and flavor. Jamaican Allspice has a clove-like aroma while the Honduran and Guatemalan varieties have a characteristic bay-rum flavor.

History
For centuries, the Mayan Indians used Allspice to embalm the bodies of important leaders. Allspice is also know as Pimiento (Spanish for pepper) because the berries resemble unripened peppercorns and was one of the spices Christopher Columbus discovered on the Caribbean Islands when he asked the natives if they harvested black pepper.

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