What is allspice?

Question

I've always thought that it was a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove but I was told that is not correct. What is it???

Answer 1

"Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper, pimento , 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 spices, such as cloves, pepper, and even cinnamon and nutmeg."

Wikipedia is a great resource.

Answer 2

allspice

A pea-sized berry from the evergreen pimiento tree. The name "pimiento tree" has nothing to do with the red sweet pepper known as pimento which is used in stuffed olives, etc. Christopher Columbus discovered allspice in the Caribbean while he was seeking pepper. As he had never actually seen real pepper, he thought allspice was it. When Columbus brought it back to Spain, it got the name "pimienta," which is Spanish for pepper. The name allspice comes from the fact that the flavor tastes like a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Jamaica provides most of the world's supply, though allspice is native to the West Indies and South America.

Ingredient


Season: available year-round

How to store: In a cool dark place for 6 months.

Matches well with: beef, beets, cabbage, carrots, corned beef, fruit pies, game, grains, lamb, meats, onions, pumpkin, rabbit, soups, spinach, squash, stews, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips

Substitutions: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ground cloves = 1 tsp ground allspice; ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in equal amounts

Recipes Which Use "Allspice"

Answer 3

Basically that is what it is...when you make a homemade pumpkin pie, instead of adding ginger, cloves and cinnamon you can replace those spices with allspice. There is a slight difference in flavor, depending on your own personal preference of which you like best. I used the ginger, cloves and cinnamon in my pumpkin pie that was on the directions and it wasn't quite as spicie as I would like, so I just added more on the next pie I made.
You really just have to experiment with the spices :-)

Answer 4

Oddly enough, there is also this:
all·spice
Pronunciation: 'ol-"spIs
Function: noun
1 : the berry of a West Indian tree (Pimenta dioica) of the myrtle family; also : the allspice tree
2 : a mildly pungent and aromatic spice prepared from dried allspice berries
Weird, eh?

Answer 5

You are getting it confused with mixed spice. Allspice is a small dark berry also known as pimento or jamaican pepper. It is a staple of carribean cooking.

Answer 6

It is a mixture of various spices, but every company has there own...so read the label.

Answer 7

You are correct look at the label it states it on the label.

Answer 8

http://www.bakingabusiness.com/spices/allspice.htm try here

Answer 9

look in www.dictionary.com