Herb. No. 143 · Myrtaceae
Jamaican myrtle. A tropical farm berry, not a temperate garden.
Native · Mexico & Central America
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Allspice
Pimenta dioica
A Jamaican myrtle berry that tastes of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg at once — the stew spice of the Caribbean and of winter baking.
Allspice is the dried unripe berry of a Caribbean myrtle. English cooks named it for the mixed-spice smell. Traditional use is as a warming kitchen pungent. Culinary amounts are gentle. The tree is not a temperate crop. Pimento dram and jerk rub are the same berry in different moods.
Flavor
Clove first, then cinnamon and nutmeg. One berry is a bouquet.
Parts used
Dried unripe berry
Helpful
- A tiny berry is a lot of flavor
- Keeps for years
Cautions
- Not a temperate tree
- Eugenol in quantity is a different drug